When The Walls Won't Hold
by lipstickdisaster
Summary: When Sharpay Evans is forced to change her identity and start anew across the country with her infant daughter, she doesn't think her life can get any worse. That is until she finds out Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez live next door.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I've been toying around with this idea since, well, B99 did their witness protection arc almost two years ago. I thought it would be an interesting way to explore second chances for Sharpay and Troyella and since I had a lot of time to write during Camp Nanowrimo this year, I decided to make this bizarre idea a reality. The whole thing has been drafted, so I'll be updating regularly.**

 **I haven't added any warnings yet, because I'm not sure what warnings exactly I should use, but I will definitely add them as I go along, so here's a heads up that this will get heavy.**

 **(Also, yes, the title is from The Greatest Showman. I see the irony of using a TGS lyric for a HSM fic, but it fits on several levels, so leave me alone!)**

 **Reviews are love! 3 And as always, you can find me on Tumblr at gabriellabolton (my main blog) and bisexualsharpay (my HSM sideblog).**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the HSM franchise.**

* * *

She will never forget that night.

Every single detail about those excruciating hours, down to the most specific of details and the faintest of sounds, is embedded in the back of her mind and will forever haunt her.

The most harrowing image, however, has nothing to do with the atrocious events that took place that night.

The most harrowing image is that of her daughter smiling up at her with those big blue eyes, giggling as she tries to pull on her hair.

She remembers thinking, aggravated and unknowing, that she needed a haircut. She also remembers the hollow ache in her heart at the image of innocence before her.

She envied that innocence. She still does. She wishes for the days when she was free of the worries that plague her, when she was not yet a shell of who she used to be.

She remembers wishing that her daughter could retain that purity that she couldn't retain herself. However, as she felt familiar calloused hands grip her elbows, a little too firmly, she knew that it was futile to wish for her daughter's happiness and that this predicament was her own fault.

"Your daughter is beautiful," she remembers a low voice whispering in her ear, lips brushing against her skin as the hands gripped tighter. Her breath hitched, but she kept still as she tried to ignore the pain as the hold on her elbows grew even stronger.

"She's our daughter," she remembers replying, curt and cold, her own voice is unrecognizable to her own ears, void of any emotion or life.

"I'm going to get ready for bed," she remembers telling him, freeing herself of the grip she hated so much. She remembers not sparing him another glance as she disappeared into the bathroom.

She remembers looking into the mirror and noticing how pale her skin was, how dull her eyes appeared. She remembers wondering if she would ever find a way out of this.

* * *

She remembers waking up in the middle of the night, the bedroom lighting up due to the lightning outside, rain pattering against the window. She remembers the lack of arms holding her possessively. She remembers him standing on the other side of the room, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared at her. She remembers hearing noises downstairs.

She remembers the panic rising in her chest as she realized that someone was intruding. She remembers him pointing to the crib beside their bed, harshly whispering, "Go hide in the bathroom."

It was the last thing she would ever hear him say.

She remembers locking herself in the bathroom with her daughter, cradling the tiny body against her chest as she tried to keep as silent as possible. She remembers the yelling downstairs as she heard the thunder rumble outside.

She remembers the gunshot.

She remembers the footsteps, boisterous and fast, coming upstairs and she remembers the loudness of her own heartbeat as she sat helplessly on the bathroom floor, rocking herself and the baby back and forth.

She remembers violently trembling in fear and gasping for breath as the door handle shook. She remembers thinking her life was over.

She also remembers the footsteps disappearing again and she remembers stealthily leaving the bathroom. She remembers catching a glimpse of the intruder. She remembers catching their eyes, she remembers being startled by the dark and sinister glint in them.

She remembers the intruder charging towards the stairs before being halted by the fast approaching sound of sirens. She remembers the door slamming as they fled.

She remembers her daughter starting to cry in her arms as she ran downstairs and she remembers how her own wails joined the baby's at the sight she found in the kitchen.

She remembers the lifeless body, she remembers the bloodied hand folded over his stomach. She remembers falling to her knees and crying against his chest, void of a heartbeat.

She remembers the loud voices of the cops as they barged in. She remembers their hands prying her away from the corpse. She remembers being taken to the police station, telling everything she knows. She remembers the solemn look on the detective's face as he told her that she couldn't go home, that she couldn't go back to the life she used to live.

She remembers it all so clearly. She will never forget. It's forever edged into her memory, sitting dormant in the back of her mind on her best days and taunting her on her worst.

She will never forget the moment she realized she had lost the last shred of hope she'd been holding onto.


	2. Chapter 1

"What's your name?"

There's no life in this house. There's no pictures on the walls, no colours, no flowers, nothing to show that there's someone living here.

There's no way anyone can know that there's someone living here.

"Vanessa Montgomery."

Well, it's not possible to stay entirely hidden. She can't shut herself in this house forever. And that's not asked of her either.

However, there is still no way that anyone can know _who_ is really living here.

"And what is your occupation?"

She sighs as she runs a hand through her hair, clipped short in a bob, and looks down at her clothes. A simple black tank top and simple jeans. Everything about Vanessa Montgomery is simple.

"I used to work in communications, but when my daughter was born, I decided I needed a change, so I packed up and moved here and now I'm living from my savings."

Oh, how she wishes that were the truth. How she wishes she had packed up and left before it was too late.

How she wishes she hadn't become involved in this nightmare in the first place. How she wishes she had tried a little harder, worked a little harder, dreamed a little harder. How she wishes she hadn't given up and instead settled for money and a charming smile.

If only she had known what that was hidden beneath that smile.

Sighing, she stands up from the chair she's sitting in and walks over the cradle, watching her sleeping daughter and softly ghosting her finger along the infant's face.

"What's her name?"

 _Sabrina._

"Iris."

The marshal seems to have noticed the bitterness in her voice, sighing behind her as she keeps staring at Sabrina.

Beautiful, innocent Sabrina, who doesn't even know what is going on. Beautiful, innocent Sabrina, who doesn't deserve to be in this mess.

"Mrs. Williams–"

She turns around to face the marshal, feeling her blood run cold at the mention of her husband's name.

"Ms. Evans is fine," she snaps, swallowing as the name rolls of her tongue. She hasn't used that name in so long. Once a source of pride, it now feels foreign, as if it doesn't belong to her.

As long as she's here, it will remain that way.

The marshal doesn't respond to her outburst. He just stands there, tall and stoic, his arms crossed over his chest as his gaze drills into her.

He doesn't appear affected by her, by any of this, in the slightest and she finds herself envying him. She has mastered this cold and detached façade, but truthfully, she's bursting at the seams, she's drowning, she's screaming for help.

"Ms. Evans," the marshal corrects himself, politely, before pausing as he studies her. "Sharpay."

Sharpay's eyes clench shut as she realizes this might be the last time in a really long time she'll hear her real name.

"I know how hard this is. I know what you've been through," he continues and Sharpay grimaces, refraining from scoffing.

He doesn't know half of what she's been through. And even if he did, how could he possibly know how much the fear and the loneliness are clawing away at her?

However, as emotionless as he appears, she can see in his eyes that it's not the same lack of emotion that she's become accustomed to. There's no danger or darkness in his black eyes.

She swear she can see a hint of genuine sympathy instead.

"I promise that this is what is best for you and your daughter and that you'll both be safe here. You have my word."

She purses her lip in response as she ponders his words. Despite their mutual lack of emotional attachment, she knows he is all that she has right now.

He will be all she has for a very long time.

Therefore, she has to trust him. And she thinks she does. She knows a bad man when she sees one and she knows this man isn't one.

"Thank you, Marshal Anderson," she replies quietly and Anderson merely nods in response.

"I'll leave you alone now," he replies, gathering the paperwork that he has left on the coffee table and offering her another curt nod before making his way out of the room.

She flinches as she hears the front door shut.

She's alone now.

Alone. Alone. Alone.

Turning back to the cradle before her, she grimaces.

She doesn't believe Anderson. She can't shake the memories of the imminence of danger, she can't shake the feeling that she's not safe.

She can't shake the feeling of utter loneliness and the longing to be anywhere but here.

She can't help but feel that this is not what's best for her, although she's also not sure what would be better at this moment.

Yet, as she watches the most precious thing she possesses, she decides to push her own feelings aside.

Because this is what is best for Sabrina. And she'll always put Sabrina first.

* * *

She should be able to do this.

Once upon a time, in a distant past, she was an actress. Performing was her passion and her dreams of a career in theatre fuelled her will to live.

This is the greatest performance she would ever have to give. Possibly and quite probably, it is the greatest performance she would ever have the opportunity to give.

She should be able to step outside, to play the part, to live a life outside of these plain walls.

Yet she holes herself up in her new house for the first couple of days that she's here, afraid to leave the confines of the only place where she's safe.

Logically, she knows that, if she keeps enough caution, she will be safe, even outside of the house. Nobody knows she's here and anyone who will know she's here, won't know who she is. There's nothing to be afraid of.

However, there's also no real reason to leave the house. The marshal has made sure that the fridge is stocked and there is a stack of magazines and a pile of books to go through and there's more than enough unwatched content on Netflix. She has everything she could ever need.

Except life in this dull house is monotonous. Performing the same routine every day becomes tedious.

As much as she had wished for more normalcy before the night her life fell apart once and for all, she has never enjoyed the mundane. She has always thrived on the unexpected, hungered for a life of glamour and constant excitement.

While her previous life hadn't given her the excitement she had always imagined for herself either, at least it wasn't as boring as this life is.

But in here, she's safe. In here, nothing can happen. So, she stays. She keeps performing the routine and she ignores the feeling of the walls closing in on her.

When she finds the fridge empty by the fourth day – a Thursday, she believes –, she realizes it's impossible. She has to get out one way or another.

So, she places Sabrina in the stroller and hopes for the best as she leaves her new house for the very first time.

* * *

As her luck would have it, someone addresses her the minute she steps onto the pavement and closes the gate behind her.

"Hi."

A woman is staring at her. She's in her mid-40s, Sharpay guesses, ginger curls framing her face. Her fashion sense is terrible, Sharpay thinks as she takes in the woman's orange and ill-fitting dress, and if she wasn't supposed to be playing a part, she probably would have made a snide comment.

But Vanessa Montgomery doesn't do that.

"Hi," Sharpay replies, offering the woman the nicest smile she can muster, before shooting a wistful look at the dog that is sitting at her feet.

Sharpay misses having a dog. She misses Boi.

The woman narrows her eyes at her, studying her in return. Her eyes shift to the stroller for a moment, before she sticks out her hand. "Debbie Fisher."

"Vanessa Montgomery," Sharpay replies, shaking Debbie's hand and noticing how firm the older woman's grip is.

"You just moved in here?" Debbie asks and Sharpay narrows her eyes at her as she nods in response, noticing the hint of suspicion in Debbie's tone.

"I live on the corner of the street," Debbie continues, pointing behind her. "How are you liking it here so far?"

She hates it.

"It's nice," Sharpay replies shortly, flatly. As Debbie's eyebrows rise, she quickly adds, "I haven't seen a lot of the neighbourhood so far, though. I'm still trying to get used to the new house."

This answer seems to please Debbie, the apprehension suddenly disappearing as she smiles at her excitedly. "Well, if you want to get to know the neighbourhood, you've come to the right person. My husband is on the city council and I participate in and organize a lot of the activities around here. We're actually staging _Hello, Dolly!_ at the community theatre soon. You should come see it! Maybe you could get to know some more people."

Watch a bunch of middle-aged amateurs butcher a musical is fun, Sharpay supposes. However, she's not here to make friends, especially not with suburban soccer moms like Debbie. At least, Debbie seems like the type to be a soccer mom.

A ding sounds from Debbie's phone. Taking it from her pocket, she frowns. "I have to go. I have to pick up my son from soccer practice."

Sharpay contains the smirk that threatens to form. Bingo.

Pulling the dog with her, Debbie shoots Sharpay another fake smile as she walks away. "Let me know if you'll come or if you're interested in anything else! You know where I live!"

Sharpay waves after her, before sighing as she's sure Debbie is out of sight and earshot.

That's the first of many performances as Vanessa done.

* * *

At the grocery store, she tries to stay hidden as much as she can. Thankfully, there are not a lot of people around. There's only two women talking by the bread section, their backs turned to her.

Something about one of the women seems familiar to Sharpay, but she can't place it. She chalks it up to paranoia caused by the situation she's found herself in.

She manages to stay hidden and when she arrives home without any other neighbours trying to speak to her, she breathes a sigh of relief.

That wasn't as bad as it seemed.

She still prefers to remain safe inside, though.

* * *

The next day, the urge to go out again strikes again. Only, she has no idea how to go out without purpose and stay hidden.

She does remember the diner she walked past on her way to the grocery store. She looks at the clock. 2.11 pm. With a bit of luck, there might not be many patrons at this hour.

As she walks into the diner, she feels relieved as she realizes she was right. There's only two people – the bartender, an older man who probably owns the diner – his nametag matches the name of the diner –, and a middle-aged man nursing a beer.

The middle-aged man ignores her, fortunately, but she realizes as she locks eyes with the bartender, Todd, that it might not have been a good idea to hide in an empty diner.

"Are you new here? I've never seen you before," Todd says as he takes her order and Sharpay nods.

"I just moved here."

"Where from?" he asks as he sets a cup before her and pours coffee into it.

"Rhode Island," she replies. She doesn't think that is part of Vanessa's backstory, and it is actually Sharpay's truth, but she doubts that anyone would trace her to a place she hasn't been to since she moved to Albuquerque at the age of twelve.

"That's far away," Todd remarks and Sharpay shrugs, before launching into the spiel she's rehearsed so many times over the past few days, furrowing her eyebrows as Todd chuckles when she tells him she wants a new start.

"This is not really a place people come to when they want a new start," he explains. "Well, at least, it's not a place I would think of."

It's not a place she would think of either.

"Well, California seemed like a nice place to start over."

She can think of a few people who have started over here. She grimaces as she wonders how they are faring. They're probably happy. They always seem to be at their happiest when she's at her most miserable.

Life is unfair like that.

"California in general or Los Angeles or San Francisco, sure," Todd says with a casual shrug. "But this place? Not really. Don't get me wrong, I've lived my entire life and I love it for what it is, but this place is boring."

He sighs wistfully. "You know where I've always wanted to live? New York. That place seems so glamourous and exciting."

 _It is_ , Sharpay thinks. She misses it, the bustle and life of the big city.

"Maybe you could still go," she says, taking a sip of her coffee, and Todd shakes his head as he grabs a towel and starts cleaning the counter.

"I have a diner to run," he replies, before turning to her with a smile. "But I bet someone like you could."

She hopes that someday, she'll get to go back.

"So, how old is your baby?" Todd asks, changing the subject and Sharpay smiles at him, before turning to look at Sabrina, who has just woken up for a nap and is cooing at her mother.

"Four months."

"Nice," Todd remarks, smiling at the child. "My grandson just turned six last month. He's grown up so fast. I miss when he was this small. Don't take it for granted."

"I won't," Sharpay says as she takes Sabrina into her lap and kisses the top of her head as Sabrina tries to grab the cup of coffee.

A lump rises in her throat as she realizes how true that is. If there's anything she's learned from her recent experiences, it's never to take anything for granted. Especially not her precious baby girl.

"I'm Vanessa," Sharpay states as she reaches out a hand to Todd, who shakes it. "And this is… Iris."

She mentally chastises herself for her hesitation in introducing Sabrina by her new name, but Todd doesn't seem to have noticed, and if he has, he doesn't mention it.

"Todd."

"I know," Sharpay says, smirking as she points at this nametag. Todd rolls his eyes good-naturedly, before shooting her another friendly smile.

"Welcome to the neighbourhood."

* * *

When Sharpay returns home, she doesn't feel so miserable anymore. Todd is nice. Todd is her friend.

It doesn't matter that Todd is really Vanessa's friend and not hers. It's good to know that there are nice, good-hearted people here and that she doesn't need to be constantly on her guard when she's out and about.

And it's nice to know that she can come back to her house and doesn't have to feel afraid of having to go out again.

As she's settled in her chair with a magazine, the doorbell suddenly rings and she flinches at the sound.

She knows there's nothing to worry about, that it's probably just a friendly neighbour coming to say hi, or a salesperson she can tell to leave, but the sound still instils a paralyzing fear in her.

The doorbell rings again, the sound echoing through the house and she sighs, deciding to get up and answer anyway.

With a slightly trembling hand and apprehension bubbling in her stomach, she slowly opens the door.

The sight before her makes her body go rigid.

"Hi, we're– Sharpay?"

* * *

 **A/N: DUN DUN DUN.** **Wonder who that could be... ;)**

 **Also, yes, the choice for the name Vanessa was deliberate, thanks for noticing my lame joke.**


	3. Chapter 2

_"Care for some iced tea from England, birthday girl?"_

 _Sharpay lowers her shades and grins at her brother, who returns the smile as he hands her the glass and sits down, dipping his feet in the pool next to her._

 _"You know, I'm surprised you didn't invite any of your Wildcat friends," she remarks, unable to hide the bitterness in her tone, playing with the tiny umbrella in her glass as she speaks._

 _She doesn't know why, but it bothers her that Ryan hasn't invited them, that she has no chance to rub it into their faces that, despite the obstacles they have caused her, she has actually succeeded._

 _Well, it's not the type of success she's always desired and expected, but she's not complaining about being married to a talk, dark, handsome and rich businessman and living with him in New York._

 _Ryan shrugs in response. "I figured this was just for family."_

 _Pausing as he looks at something in the distance, Ryan laughs. "Well, except for the Leveretts, I guess."_

 _Sharpay looks up, following her brother's gaze as it lands on the three men standing at the other side of the pool. They're quite a bunch together, Ryan's quiet boyfriend, her own charming husband and the friendly blonde family friend._

 _She wonders why she has never met the last one before, considering their mothers have apparently been friends for years. She wonders why it_ matters _that she's never met him before._

 _He's nice – that much she can tell from the short, polite small talk she's had with him –, but there's nothing special or extraordinary about him._

 _Yet, as his blue eyes lock with hers and he shoots her a friendly smile, she feels warm inside. It's a nice, comforting feeling that he evokes, very different from the lust and dangerous intrigue she feels around her husband._

 _She doesn't understand why this man she barely knows evokes feelings in her. She doesn't understand why they feel so much more genuine than anything she has felt in a long time._

 _"Besides, only Chad and Zeke are in town at the moment and I didn't want to invite either of them," Ryan interrupts her thoughts. "Chad refuses to acknowledge Lava Springs even exists and I'm pretty sure that Zeke would spontaneously combust if he saw you happily married."_

 _Sharpay snorts at her brother's statement, shaking her head with amusement as she thinks back to Zeke's insistent crush on her. Sometimes, she wonders what would have happened if she had actually given him a chance._

 _She probably would have been miserable, but maybe, just maybe, she could have grown to like him._

 _She wonders if she ever could pretend to be happy with someone she doesn't want to be with._

 _"I mean, you are happy, right?"_

 _Sharpay knows Ryan can read her thoughts and guess her deepest fears, but she's also aware that he's been eyeing the pink cardigan that she's been wearing to cover her arms. Suddenly, under his scrutiny, the late August heat feels palpably scorching, but she pretends that nothing's wrong._

 _"Of course," she responds as she shoots Ryan a pointed look. "Why wouldn't I be?"_

 _Ryan shrugs. "Just asking."_

 _Watching his bare wiggling toes in the water, he changes the subject. "So, have you gone to any auditions lately?"_

 _Sharpay shakes her head, suddenly finding her feet and the bottom of the pool interesting as well. "No. I was so busy with the wedding planning earlier this year and I've been rejected so often that it seems like a waste of my time."_

 _If she were younger or single or more naïve, she might have thought differently about it. But now it truly seems like a silly childhood dream that she has to stop chasing if she ever wants to become a responsible adult._

 _"Do_ you _think it's a waste of time, or does Don?"_

 _Sharpay feels the anger bubble in her stomach at his accusing words and tone, her face morphing into a furious scowl. Wordlessly, she pulls her feet from the water, not caring if she splashes Ryan in the process, before stalking away._

 _She hears Ryan's footsteps follow her and she can feel the gazes of the other men drilling into her back, one worried, another curious and a third one suspicious._

 _She flinches as she feels Ryan's hand grab her arm and quickly pulls it away as she twirls around and glares at him viciously._

 _"I know you don't like Don, but can't you at least_ try _to be happy for me?" she hisses angrily and she almost feels guilty when she sees the remorse in her brother's eyes._

 _"You know I'm only trying to look out for you."_

 _"I can look out for myself just fine," she snaps back as she crosses her arms over her chest. "Stop micro-managing me and deciding what's best for me."_

 _Now it's Ryan's turn to cross his arms as he raises his eyebrows at her. "That's rich coming from you."_

 _The scowl falls from Sharpay's face and an embarrassed blush rises to her cheeks. She pouts stubbornly, aware that he's right. About her being a hypocrite, at least. Not about insinuating that Don is making decisions for her._

 _Before she can say anything, Ryan offers her a small smile and pulls her into a hug. With a sigh, she relaxes into his embrace and squeezes him. She forgot how good her brother's hugs are, how good it feels to be held by someone without any pretences._

 _"I'm sorry. I just get worried sometimes," he murmurs into her hair. "I know we don't always see eye to eye and I know we haven't been in contact much lately, but you're still my sister."_

 _Sharpay feels a little pang in her heart as she realizes just how much she has distanced herself from him and she mentally vows to rectify that, to talk to and visit him more often._

 _"I love you, sis," he whispers as he releases her from his embrace and they smile at each other softly._

 _"I love you, too, Ry."_

 _That birthday weekend at Lava Springs is the last time she sees Ryan._

* * *

Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez are on her doorstep.

Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez know who she is. They know her past – or at least, they know a part of it.

Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez are jeopardizing her interests again. And this time, her interests are not winning a talent show, but protecting her life.

Taking them in, both their faces frozen in shock, she notes that neither of them have changed much. Both of them look a little older, their faces a little more worn and both of them having different, shorter haircuts, but they're still the same old cute and innocent Troy and Gabriella.

They sickened her in high school. They sicken her even more now, for very different reasons.

Her gaze moving down, she resists the urge to roll her eyes as she takes note of the plate of brownies in Gabriella's hands.

Of course they would be the kind of good people who bring around brownies to welcome their new neighbours to the neighbourhood.

How she wishes she wasn't their new neighbour.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" she croaks as she finds her voice, mentally thanking whatever deity may be up there that she's the first to recover enough to speak up.

Gabriella blinks before her lips slowly pull into a frown. "Sharpay, it's us. Troy and Gabriella."

Sharpay does her best to feign ignorance as she stares Gabriella down. "I have no idea who you are. And what kind of name is Sharpay?"

She will have to admit it hurts to hear those words spill from her own mouth. She's accepted letting go of Evans long ago, but her first name has always been sacred. She's always adored its originality and the fact that it was hers and alone. Abandoning that name and then deriding it feels like a betrayal to herself.

Moving her gaze to Troy, who is watching the scene wordlessly, she notices he's narrowed his eyes at her thoughtfully. He's looking at her as if he's trying to read her thoughts and it unnerves her.

As much as she hates to admit it, Troy has always understood her and her train of thought on a level she's not quite comfortable with. Although she's not exactly sure how much he's heard about the semi-recent events in her life from Ryan, she's aware that there's a huge possibility that Troy will be able to figure out why she's here and pretending not to know him and Gabriella.

Under no circumstances can he find out the truth.

"Sharpay," Gabriella tries again, stepping forward determinedly and moving out of Troy's grip on her waist.

Her eyes widening, Sharpay takes a step back and grips the door tightly, closing it slightly. "I don't know what you think you're trying to do, lady, but my name is not Sharpay."

"I'm sorry," Troy suddenly speaks up, both women turning to him startled. "You look exactly like an old friend of ours."

Friend isn't the word Sharpay would use.

"Troy…," Gabriella starts and Troy shakes his head to silence her as he takes the plate from her hands and holds it out to Sharpay.

Sharpay feels slightly nauseous as she finally notices that he's wearing a wedding band.

Of course they're married. And probably much more happily than she was.

"I'm Troy Bolton and this is my wife Gabriella," Troy introduces them, smiling at her politely. "We live next door and we just wanted to welcome you to the neighbourhood."

Hesitantly, Sharpay takes the plate from him. "Vanessa Montgomery."

Troy merely nods at her, but she sees in his eyes that they both know that's not her real name, that she's just putting on a façade.

She's grateful that he at least pretends to buy it.

"Sorry for the confusion," Troy apologizes, "I promise we will behave normally from now on. And if you ever need anything, we're next door."

She can see the hidden meaning in his eyes. He means that she can always turn to them with the truth.

She won't.

She nods in response and Troy smiles at her again, before taking Gabriella's hand in his.

"We'll be going now. Sorry again."

Sharpay watches them as Troy pulls Gabriella away from the property, Gabriella softly murmuring an apology and giving her one last long look as she bites her lip thoughtfully.

Closing the door, Sharpay almost feels her legs give away beneath her as the reality fully sets in.

Her old high school rivals are her new neighbours. They know part of the truth. She could be in danger.

What should she do? Should she call the marshal? Could they have her relocated? But wouldn't that arouse suspicion?

She remembers the way Troy looked at her as he handed her the brownies, the way that he calmly played along with her ruse.

She remembers that Troy and Gabriella, while being the cause of many of her problems in high school, are not bad people. They wouldn't be involved with the people she's running from, much less rat her out.

As long as they play along, she doubts they'll cause her any trouble. At least, she hopes and she will have to trust that they won't.

She'll sit this one out, she decides. She's not moving again. It's too risky and it's too emotionally taxing.

She just hopes that she's making the right call.

With a sigh, she brings the plate in her shaking hands to her face and sniffs the brownies.

They do smell good.

* * *

Troy Bolton likes to think he's a rational man.

Surely, he's exhibited reckless and impulsive behaviour before – that time he drove back and forth between Albuquerque and Stanford in a barely functioning truck comes to mind –, but he also likes to think he is able to approach problems as a rational and realistic adult.

There's three possible explanations for what just happened – either there's a third Evans twin – triplet? – hanging out here, or Sharpay Evans was involved in an illegal human cloning experiment, or East High's resident ice princess is really his new next-door neighbour and she's pretending to be someone else.

Rationally, he knows the first two options are very unlikely and probably biologically impossible, so there's only one of these explanations is reasonable.

"It's her."

The moment he closes the door behind him and Gabriella, he calmly states what they're both thinking.

Gabriella shakes her head in disbelief as she stares at a random point in space behind him. "How are you not freaking out about this?"

He can hear the frustration in her voice and he sees the confusion and distress in her eyes, and with a sympathetic smile, he pulls her into his body, sighing and closing his eyes as he holds her against him comfortingly.

"I don't know," he sighs into her hair, breathing in her scent as one of his hands rises to her shoulder and tangles itself in her soft curls.

 _This is ironic_ , he thinks. It's the first time in a long time that she has let him hold her like this, that she hasn't expressed an urge to pull away, that he hasn't seen that shimmer of insecurity in her eyes as he shows her affection.

And this time, they're brought closer together _because_ of Sharpay Evans, not in spite of her.

"We should call Ryan," Gabriella murmurs into his neck. Softly, he takes her hand into his, places their embraced hands on his chest, right over his heart, and squeezes softly.

"You know that's not a good idea," he whispers as he pulls away from their embrace, staring into those beautiful, brown eyes of hers.

After a moment, she sighs and nods in agreement.

The truth is that neither of them really know what happened between Ryan and Sharpay, but they do know that the twins, once inseparable, have now lost all contact. Ryan had never discussed his sister with them anyway, aware of the complicated relationship she's always had with the Wildcats, but they did hear from him that she had gotten married to some rich, older businessman and lived with him in New York and that through the years, she and Ryan had grown apart.

It's one of the topics no one in the gang ever dares to bring up – losing his sister has always been a sore spot for Ryan, a wound that will never heal.

Being at the centre of one of the other sore subjects within their friend group, Troy and Gabriella know this kind of pain all too well and they know better than to call him and bring it up out of the blue without knowing all the facts.

Especially considering Sharpay definitely doesn't seem to want them to know anything.

Troy had noticed something in her eyes as they had stood before her. He had seen her fear and panic, but there was also a hint of something else he can't quite put his finger on.

It reminds him of a past summer at Lava Springs, when she let her guard down for him before the talent show and showed him a much more vulnerable side of herself.

That time, she had dropped the façade when he had confronted her. This time, it seems like she's more persistent than ever to keep it up.

It's also a different type of façade. It's not just a wall she has put up to protect her feelings, it's an entirely new identity, an entirely new life.

If he knows Sharpay Evans at all, he knows she won't just let go of who she is. There must be a reason for why she has a new identity, for why she's afraid to tell them the truth.

There _has_ to be.

"So, what do we do?" Gabriella's soft voice pulls him away from his thoughts and Troy's bites his lip in response.

"There's nothing we can do," he responds and he feels the pang in his heart as he sees the hurt flash through her eyes caused by those painful words they have heard so often by now.

"I love you. You know that right?" he says, a little desperately, after a brief moment of suffocating silence.

He needs her to know that he continues to love her, cherish her, no matter what.

Gabriella's lip trembles a little in response. She nods, before putting both her hands around his neck, playing with the soft hairs there as she places a sweet, loving kiss on his lips.

"I love you, too," she whispers as she pulls back, and there's a hint of despair in her voice too, an unspoken wish that things were just a little different, that love is enough to put an end to all their troubles.

After a moment, she steps away from him, shooting him a solemn smile. "I'm going to make dinner."

As he watches her retreating figure, Troy sighs, the meeting with Sharpay and the utter fear in her eyes flashing before him again.

If there's anything he's learned in the past few years, it's that nobody knows what's really going on behind closed doors and that it's not always easy to tell what someone is going through.

He has no idea what is going on with Sharpay, but he'll respect her wishes of hiding whatever she's struggling with.

That's all he can do.

* * *

 **A/N: Enter Troy and Gabriella and their own emotional baggage!**

 **Also, as there's no Sharpay without her Ryan, it felt really important to explain (at least vaguely) why he isn't in her life anymore. He won't play a big role in the story, though, but I do need you all to know how much I cherish their relationship regardless!**

 **As always, reviews are love!**


	4. Chapter 3

_New York._

 _She's actually on a plane to New York. Of course it's not to become a Broadway star, but rather to visit her dear brother at Juilliard, but it doesn't matter. She's going to New York and she's positively giddy about it._

 _If the man in the seat next to her wasn't so ridiculously gorgeous, she's pretty sure she would be in a fit of giggles or doing a victory dance by now._

 _Normally, she wouldn't care what anyone thinks of her. She's confident, she's determined and anyone who gets in her way or doesn't appreciate her for the talented, headstrong woman that she is, doesn't deserve to be in her presence._

 _However, there's something about this man and the way he has been steadily sneaking glances at her for the past hour that has her stomach aflutter and her legs weak._

 _Unable to stop herself from looking at him again to take in his appearance – he's tall and bulky and he has dark curls and a beard, and he's most likely the most attractive man she's ever met –, she feels her stomach swoop again as she meets his gaze for the first time._

 _His dark brown eyes are staring at her with intrigue and amusement swimming in them and she's sure that the same interest is visible in her own eyes. He winks at her flirtatiously and Sharpay rolls her eyes in response as they share a smirk._

 _"Do you work in the entertainment industry?" he asks, pointing to the_ Backstage Magazine _in her hands, and Sharpay bites her lip, feeling even more attracted to him as his deep and husky voice enters her ears._

 _"I'm an inspiring actress," she replies, smiling proudly, but her face falls as he raises his eyebrows at her and chuckles amusedly, as if he pities her._

 _Seeing the change in her expression, he quickly throws up his hands in surrender. "Hey, I wasn't going to say anything."_

 _"But you thought it," she snaps back, ignoring his laughter as she turns back to her magazine._

 _He may be hot, but she won't allow him to make fun of her for her ambitions. She knows that a career as an actress is difficult to achieve, especially considering how much the last two years of high school have thrown a wrench into her plans. That doesn't mean that she isn't allowed to dream._

 _This man barely knows her. He has no right to assume she's naïve._

 _Fifteen minutes pass before he speaks up again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I thought your career plans are stupid. I actually quite like a woman with ambitions. Especially one as pretty as you."_

 _She feels anger bubble in her stomach as she notes how his voice drops into a seductive husk when he utters the compliment and how a pleasurable tingle shoots up her spine._

 _"Do those pick-up lines work for you?" she shoots back, before pausing thoughtfully and frowning at him. "Especially with girls who are at least ten years younger than you?"_

 _He laughs again and she's getting really tired of his perpetual amusement with her. However, she's not quite sure whether that annoyance is caused by his apparent inability to take her seriously or the fact that the sound of his laughter is much too nice._

 _"Does it work on you?" he asks with raised eyebrows and Sharpay rolls her eyes again and feigns disinterest by shrugging casually._

 _He sees right through her façade, though, smirking smugly as he brings his hand up and softly brushes it along her bare shoulder, humming with satisfaction as Sharpay's eyes drift closed in response._

 _A part – the rational part of her – knows that this man is trouble and wants to ignore him, push him away, but another part of her wants him to keep touching her, wants him to love her._

 _The impulsive part of her wins out._

 _Turning to him abruptly, though careful not to remove his hand from her arm, she purses her lips as she lets her eyes travel over his figure again. "So, you know what I do. What about you?"_

 _His face breaks out into a wide grin – it's the first time she's seen him do more than smirk and the sight is breathtaking –, before starting his story._

 _In the next hour, she learns that he's 28 – nine years older than her – and he's a successful business man in Manhattan. She learns about his childhood spent in wealth, not much different from her own, and about his favourite colour. He learns of her lifelong dreams of becoming an actress, of her family and her beloved Boi, and of her coffee order._

 _They also learn that, with each minute that passes, with each laugh that they share, it becomes more likely that they will sleep together and that it will perhaps even happen after an actual date._

 _When Sharpay hopped on this plane this morning, she had a feeling that something big was about to happen, that her life was about to change. She had hoped for a miraculous big break on Broadway. She had not imagined her life-changing event would be meeting him._

 _"Hey, I don't think we've introduced ourselves," he suddenly says, his eyes crinkled with mirth as he holds his hand out to her. "Don."_

 _Smiling back at him, she looks down at his hand, so much larger than hers, shaking it firmly and revelling in the spark that shoots up her arm. "Sharpay."_

* * *

She hasn't seen the Boltons since that afternoon they turned up on her doorstep. She has been watching their property carefully from the blinds and she has tried to avoid going out at times when Troy's pick-up truck is in the driveway.

She's grateful that she's managed to steer clear of them. Troy and Gabriella might not be bad people, but they do know the truth about her identity and that frightens her.

However, while avoiding Troy and Gabriella is going well, avoiding Debbie Fisher is decidedly more difficult.

"Vanessa, hi!"

Sharpay closes her eyes in annoyance for a moment and supresses an irritated sigh before putting the can of tomato sauce back and turning to Debbie, offering her a fake smile.

"Debbie!"

The smile that Debbie gives her is just as insincerely joyful, as she waves excitedly. "Hi! I just wanted to know if you're settling into the neighbourhood nicely."

Sharpay is pretty sure that she's been asked this same question every day. She's also pretty sure Debbie watches her the way she watches the Boltons, except Debbie tries to catch her rather than avoid her at all costs. It's creepy, especially considering the situation that Sharpay has currently found herself in.

"It's great," Sharpay replies, almost monotonously, before pulling out the tomato sauce again and giggling phonily. "I feel like I'm starting to learn my way around the grocery store!"

Debbie laughs, nodding as if she's impressed. "So, I told you about our performance of _Hello, Dolly!_ , right? I just wanted to let you know that there's still tickets available if you're interested."

Sharpay smiles apologetically as she shakes her head and gestures to Sabrina in the stroller. "Sorry, I don't think I'm up for it. I'm so busy with taking care of her."

Debbie coos at Sabrina with an adoring smile, before looking back at Sharpay curiously. "Where's her dad?"

This catches Sharpay off guard. She should have known that question was coming, with her being new in town with a baby and no partner.

Sharpay's lips close in a thin line for a second, before she mutters, "It's complicated."

She has no interest in telling this woman that her husband is dead or tell another story that will surely provoke this perfect suburban woman's judgment and prejudice.

Fortunately, Debbie gets the hint and merely nods.

"Well, I admire you," she says after a moment, sincerely, and Sharpay raises her eyebrows as Debbie offers her a genuinely kind smile. "I mean, being so young and already being a single mother. I know I wouldn't have been able to handle it without John."

Sharpay gives Debbie a small, modest smile, thinking for the first time that this woman might not be the actual most annoying human on the planet. However, of course, Debbie is still Debbie, and she just _has_ to ruin the moment by starting the interrogation again.

"So, have you found a job yet? You used to work in communications, right?"

Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at Debbie's inability to hide the suspicious tone in her voice, Sharpay nods. "Yes, I'm looking, but it's hard, so I'm also looking at other jobs. Maybe I can become a waitress or something."

A few years ago, Sharpay would have laughed if she were told that she would be looking for waitressing jobs.

Then again, a few years ago, Sharpay's life wasn't such a dumpster fire.

"Where did you go to school?"

Sharpay narrows her eyes. What does that have to do with anything?

"Michigan."

Debbie clicks her tongue thoughtfully as she raises her eyebrows accusatorily. "I thought you were from Rhode Island?"

"I grew up there," Sharpay replies quickly, frowning as Debbie contemplates this information for a moment, undoubtedly contemplating the next question to fire at her.

However, before Debbie can say anything, they are interrupted.

"Debbie! You're just who I was looking for!"

Both women turn around to see Gabriella Montez – no, _Bolton_ – smiling at them sweetly. Sharpay knows that smile. She has been subjected to it far too many times during their time in high school when Gabriella was pretending to be nice to her in order to shield herself from the insults that Sharpay constantly hurled her way.

"Oh, hey, Vanessa," Gabriella says, waving at her, and Sharpay feels her eyes narrow at her as she realizes something.

She understands what Gabriella is doing. She's trying to divert Debbie's attention. And that angers Sharpay. Gabriella always seems to think that everyone needs her help. Well, Sharpay Evans, for one, doesn't need to be saved by her.

However, there is something that Sharpay does not understand. She doesn't understand why Gabriella's face visibly pales and freezes as her gaze falls on Sabrina.

"Honey, are you okay?" Debbie asks worriedly as she grabs Gabriella's arm comfortingly, evidently having noticed Gabriella's change in demeanour too. "You look really pale."

"Just feeling a little under the weather," Gabriella says weakly, laughing nervously as her eyes flick to Sharpay again, giving her a look that tells Sharpay that she was right, that Gabriella is, indeed, trying to give her an out.

Part of Sharpay doesn't want to. She doesn't want to give into Gabriella's unnecessary help. But she also knows that this _is_ the perfect opportunity to escape, so she begrudgingly pushes the stroller to the next aisle while Gabriella and Debbie discuss props that are apparently necessary for a high school play that Troy is staging.

Troy Bolton is a drama teacher. Who would have thought?

Ten minutes later, when she has collected almost all the necessary groceries, she bumps into Gabriella again. Sharpay glares at her, while Gabriella frowns in return, both of them silently staring each other down for a few seconds.

Gabriella is the first to speak up, her voice a little melancholic. "You have a daughter. What's her name?"

"Iris," Sharpay snaps, watching as Gabriella blinks and shoots her a confused look in response to the venomous tone of her voice.

If she weren't so angry at Gabriella for not minding her own business, Sharpay would have been concerned about how quickly she's now able to use Sabrina's undercover name.

She also would have wondered about the heartbreak in Gabriella's eyes as she looks at Sabrina.

"Why did you do that?" Sharpay asks angrily, rolling her eyes when Gabriella's face contorts further in confusion. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. When you stepped in when Debbie was interrogating me?"

"Oh, that," Gabriella says, smiling with relief, even though Sharpay is still scowling at her furiously. "I know how she can be. She was that way with Troy and me when we moved in, too. I thought I'd just help out, because she can get pretty annoying."

Annoying. Just annoying. Debbie is finding holes in Sharpay's cover story, which could put her in danger, but sure, to Gabriella, with her happy suburban life and her perfect husband, Debbie is just annoying.

"Well, I didn't ask you to," Sharpay hisses, feeling her face start to flush with anger and envy about how much less worry Gabriella must have.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to help," Gabriella says, eyebrows furrowed, and the genuine innocence and kindness in her features makes Sharpay even angrier.

"I didn't need your help. I could have handled her just fine," Sharpay spits, despite knowing that might not have been true.

She's not about to admit that she could really use Gabriella's help, though. She has too much pride for that.

Sharpay raises her eyebrows as Gabriella's eyes suddenly widen and she gasps as if she's realized something.

"Is this about the other day?" she asks, taking a step forward, Sharpay stepping backward in response. "Because I really am sorry about that. You just looked like someone I used to know and I was shocked. I didn't mean to freak you out."

Sharpay sees the genuine apology in Gabriella's wide doe eyes and she just purses her lip and shakes her head. "No, it's about you not being able to mind your own business."

Gabriella narrows her eyes at Sharpay, before placing her hand on her hip as she stares at her. Her tone is neither accusatory nor angry, but rather curious, when she inquires, "What's the matter with you?"

A trauma derived from watching her husband die. A constant fear that her cover will be blown and she'll be in immediate danger. The fact that Gabriella is a part of the reason why her dreams have crumbled down around her feet.

She's not going to tell her any of that.

"Just stay the fuck away from me, okay?" she bites out bitterly.

Then, she turns around and makes her way to the checkout, leaving behind a perplexed Gabriella.

* * *

The rest of the day, Sharpay can't shake the memory of the grocery store, of the obvious suspicion in Debbie's eyes, of Gabriella's interruption and her confusion when Sharpay snapped at her.

She was too harsh, wasn't she? Gabriella had only tried to help, and if Sharpay were honest, she would have appreciated the help if it had come from anyone but her.

But it _had_ come from Gabriella and for some reason, it had unleashed a fury within Sharpay she can't even explain.

Maybe it's due to the memories of her relationship with Gabriella in high school. She had felt that all too familiar envy again, especially when Gabriella had treated Debbie's dangerously insistent interrogation so lightly.

It had brought back that feeling of inferiority again, that feeling of not being as good as Gabriella was. She has always hated how perfect everything about Gabriella is, how kind and smart and effortlessly beautiful she is, how talented she is at everything she does, how she had easily won over everything and everyone upon her arrival at East High.

A feeling of inferiority is one she has gotten used to by now, and not only because of her past with Gabriella, but it's the combination of her life being so broken and her envy for Gabriella resurfacing that has really screwed her up.

She has always imagined running into Gabriella one day, probably at their big high school reunion – even though she shredded and threw away the invitation when it came a couple of years ago. In her imagination, she would be a successful actress and have a handsome, perfect husband that could rival Troy Bolton, and Gabriella would follow her around all night like a pathetic little puppy, giving Sharpay the upper hand for once.

She has never imagined that they would be reunited like this, with Sharpay forced to hide away out of fear for her life, while Gabriella has retained that picture perfect life. It's unfair and Sharpay is furious that Gabriella has gotten out on top once again.

However, Sharpay also still remembers the reassuring look in Troy's eyes the other day vividly. She knows that neither of them mean to cause her any harm – as much as she hates to admit it, the hurt they have caused her has never been intentional after all. She also knows that they would truly be there for her if she chose to depend on them.

It's too risky to do that, but it's a nice thought.

Staring out of the window at the truck in the Boltons' driveway, Sharpay bites her lip. As terrified as she is of them, she knows she could really use friends like them – friends who are familiar, who would truly be kind to her – and she knows she has now screwed up any chance of that ever happening.

She should apologize. At least keep the door open, metaphorically and literally.

However, when she's walking up the Boltons' driveway a few minutes later, her legs shaking beneath her, she doesn't know if this is such a good idea.

Stopping in front of the door, Sharpay feels a pang of hurt as she notices how homely their porch looks, with colourful plants and a decorative doormat. Her own porch has no personality, no life, nothing.

With a deep breath, she lifts her hand, her index finger hovering over the bell when she suddenly realizes she hasn't thought this through at all.

What if Troy answers the door? She would have to explain that she raged at his wife at the grocery store and she knows how protective he can get when someone wrongs Gabriella. He might get angry with her, too, and it would only make things worse.

And what if Gabriella answers the door and asks why she's here? Sharpay is the one who told Gabriella to stay away from her. It wouldn't make sense for her to suddenly reach out to her.

Furthermore, she doesn't know if she would be able to put aside her pride to apologize to Gabriella Montez.

She also doesn't know what to do if they invited her in. There's a reason why she's been avoiding them, there's a reason why they might be a danger to her, even if they're good people at heart.

She gulps and shakes her head, before lowering her hand. This is a mistake.

Without looking back, she marches off their property and onto her own, slamming her front door behind her.


	5. Chapter 4

Gabriella has a lot of questions about Sharpay Evans. About why she's here, why she's pretending to be someone else, why she appears to be so scared of her and Troy. The curiosity is killing her.

However, there's also something else about Sharpay Evans that kills her.

Sharpay Evans has a daughter. A beautiful, perfect little baby daughter.

Gabriella knows that it's impossible to avoid confrontation with her biggest pain, but she hadn't expected to be confronted with it by Sharpay and certainly not on a regular grocery run.

She feels guilty about how envious she feels of Sharpay for having the one thing she misses in her life, the one thing she wants the most, but the jealousy is raging inside her.

The hurt is raging, too. She can't stop thinking about it, and she can't stop thinking about how Troy's in pain as well and it's her fault.

"Good morning," a groggy voice suddenly whispers in her ear as a pair of strong hands hold her by the waist.

She feels herself tense up as a thought flickers through her mind – she shouldn't be allowed this pleasure of being held by him so tenderly, so lovingly, when she's causing him so much pain.

However, she loves his touch. Even after all these years, she still feels the butterflies rage in her stomach, she still feels the love and pure joy pour out of every fibre of her being whenever she's close to him. Therefore, she allows herself to relax against his strong chest, although she's still too apprehensive to really lean into him.

He's definitely noticed her hesitation, for she can feel his curious, concerned eyes drilling holes into her head. She tries not to react physically to the tension between them, but she can feel that the bubble is about to burst, that he's about to confront her on her distant behaviour.

Thankfully, he doesn't.

Instead, he peppers light kisses to her neck as he pulls her closer, murmuring into her hair, "You're so beautiful."

Normally, she would blush and swat him away bashfully, or make some sarcastic remark about how sexy her scrubs are – oh, how she hates those things –, but now, she just laughs awkwardly and turns around to peck his lips – a voice inside her reminds her that she doesn't deserve his heavenly kisses either – and hand him a plate of pancakes.

He doesn't take it greedily as he normally would, instead watching her puzzled, his eyes roaming over her face as if he'll find the answers there.

She feels guilt wash over her. She doesn't want to keep things from him, and he doesn't deserve to receive a cold shoulder because she's battling with her own internal demons. She just doesn't know how to address it.

How do you tell your husband that you don't know how to look him in the eye because your old high school rival has a child and you don't know how to deal with that?

"Hey, are you okay?" he asks after a moment of silence and Gabriella closes her eyes in pain as the dreaded words finally spill from his mouth.

No, she's not okay. But she doesn't know how to address the reason why.

Slipping from his arms and grabbing her own plate, she walks to the dining table and sits down with a sigh, cutting off a piece of pancake and popping it into her mouth, not daring to look at him.

"I've just had a rough time at work lately," she states as she swallows the food. It could be the truth. It isn't, but it's possible for a myriad of reasons.

Sometimes, she wonders if it was a good decision to become a paediatrician. At the time, it had seemed like the perfect job for her, combining her love for science and her desire to help others, but in hindsight, she wonders if working with children is a good idea for someone like her, with the emotional baggage she carries with her.

Troy sighs behind her and she hears some shuffling as he sits down next to her and takes her hand in his. She stares at their entwined hands for a moment, revelling at how perfectly they fit.

"Look, I know I can't always understand what you're going through, but I just want you to know that you can talk to me," he says quietly, and although she's been trying to keep her gaze steady on the pancakes, she can't help but looking up into those beautiful honest blue eyes of his. "Please talk to me."

His voice cracks a little and she feels even guiltier as she realizes something. She's pulling away from him because she's insecure, but her distance makes _him_ feel insecure.

She would never leave him – as tempting as it is to give up at times, she's done her fair share of leaving in high school and she's also done her fair share of being miserable without him – and deep down, beneath all her self-doubt, she knows he would never leave her either.

Their love is enough to sustain them, but she doesn't know how to close the distance that has been created between them.

Biting her lip, she cracks a small, timid smile at him, before reaching up and entangling her hands in his soft hair, her smile growing as he closes his eyes blissfully at her touch.

A little hesitantly, she scoots closer to him and lets her forehead fall onto his, basking in the happiness that still radiates through her body from being near him, even if she's afraid of the intimacy.

"I know."

* * *

Something is wrong with Gabriella.

He's been noticing a change in her behaviour lately. She's been distant, distracted, as if something is really bothering her. He just can't figure out what the issue is.

He's tried to reach out, to get her to talk to him, but she won't give in. It hurts not to be able to comfort her. He's used to it by now, the inability to make it better, but it's still something he can never learn to bear.

He's not surprised to find her gone as he wakes up the morning after he tried to get her to talk to him. It's something Gabriella always does – she desires space when things get hard. He wishes she didn't, but after years of loving her, of going through hardships together, he understands how her mind works, how she's still afraid to really open up. He respects that.

Still, despite his sympathy for her pain, he still feels awful that she's being so distant from him and there's nothing he can do about it.

Deciding he doesn't want to eat breakfast alone in an empty house, he quickly showers and grabs his stuff, before fleeing the house just like she probably has done a while ago.

While he walks up to his truck, he feels his stomach drop with dread as he spots the figure walking the pavement bordering his property.

He really doesn't need a conversation with Debbie right now. She's been very present lately, walking past his house with her dog multiple times a day. It's probably because of Sharpay. He knows how nosy Debbie can be and she's known to be watching new neighbours like a hawk, distrustful of anyone who is a newcomer in her the neighbourhood she's lived in her whole life.

Troy knows there's a good reason to be distrustful of Sharpay, though, considering she is pretending to be someone else, but then again, Debbie doesn't know the truth.

He doesn't know a lot about the truth either, and about whether it's something he should worry about, but he's too concerned about his wife to truly care about that right now.

He tries to hop into the truck as fast as he can after spotting Debbie, but he's not quick enough, sighing to himself as he meets Debbie's eyes and she waves excitedly.

"Hey, Troy!"

With a sheepish smile, he waves back. "Hi, Debbie."

He hopes that a friendly greeting will be enough and she'll walk away and go on with her day, but it's Debbie, so she obviously sticks around. Within a few seconds, she and her dog are next to his truck, the small animal wagging his tail at him.

With a smile, Troy bends down to ruffle the little guy behind his ears. He and Gabriella should really get a dog. It might be good for them.

"So, Gabriella told me you need help with props for the school play?"

Troy pulls his hands away from the animal and stands back up, nodding in response. "You talked to Gabriella?"

"Oh, yeah, I ran into her at the grocery store last week," Debbie says, a distant look in her eyes as she tries to recall something. "I think it might have been last Friday or Saturday. I'm sure that doesn't really matter all that much, though."

It does. Last weekend is when Gabriella started exhibiting her odd behaviour. Maybe something happened on that grocery run.

As Debbie rambles about the props, Troy tries to rack his brains as to why Gabriella would be upset about something that happened at the grocery store. Did Debbie say something? He knows she can be quite blunt sometimes. He's afraid to ask her, though, because he doesn't want to arouse suspicions about his and Gabriella's issues and start the rumour mill.

"So, is it okay if Carol and I drop by on Friday to drop off some things for you?" Debbie's voice snaps him out of his thoughts and he blushes and awkwardly rubs his neck as he realizes he hasn't heard a lot of what she's said.

"That would be great, thanks."

"Great! I'll see you Friday!" Debbie exclaims enthusiastically and Troy inwardly breathes a sigh of relief as she waves, turns around and starts making her way off his property.

However, after a few steps, she turns around again, opening her mouth hesitantly. "Is Gabriella okay, by the way?"

Troy's eyebrows furrow. Debbie is perceptive, but he's pretty certain that Gabriella is not that bad at hiding her emotions from someone who is an acquaintance at best.

Sensing his confusion, Debbie shrugs, a concerned look in her eyes. "I noticed she was looking a little pale and she said she had an oncoming cold."

Troy frowns, running a hand through his hair. He's pretty sure there's nothing physically wrong with her – well, nothing like a cold at least.

Seeing that Debbie is watching him expectantly, with narrowed eyes, as he doesn't answer, he quickly smiles at her. "Yeah, she's doing fine now. Thanks for asking."

She's really not, but not for the reason Debbie thinks.

Debbie purses her lip again, as if she doesn't believe him, but nods nevertheless. "Good to know. Well, I have to go now. Have a nice day!"

As he watches Debbie retreating, he sighs. He's all the more confused now. Something must have happened before Gabriella ran into Debbie, but he still has no idea what and it kills him that he doesn't know what's wrong.

It kills him that he doesn't know how to make it all better.

* * *

Sharpay loves Sabrina. She loves the precious bundle of joy that's making her life a little easier to live with all her heart. She truly does.

She, however, does not love when Sabrina starts screaming in a public place.

As she desperately tries to calm down Sabrina in the middle of Todd's diner, she feels the other people watching her. While she's grown up loving to be the centre of attention, she's grown wary of it due to recent events, so the many judgmental gazes drilling into her only make matters worse.

She tries to ignore the attention she's drawing – the cringing of a middle-aged man a few booths away, the rolling of eyes by an older woman at a table near her, the sympathetic looks Todd keeps sending her from behind the bar.

She's so engrossed in calming the crying infant in her arms and trying to ignore the eyes on her that she barely notices when Todd greets a new customer.

"Troy! I haven't seen you in a while!"

Sharpay inwardly groans. Is there truly no way to go out and not run into one of the Boltons?

Their meeting a few weeks ago and the recent grocery store mishap still fresh on her mind, Sharpay desperately wishes she could sink into the ground and disappear to avoid any more commotion.

However, Sabrina, of course, starts screaming even louder, if that were even possible – Sharpay feels a vague sense of pity for her own mother, knowing she was just as bad when she was Sabrina's age –, and before Sharpay can figure out a plan to escape, her eyes have met Troy's bright blue ones.

He is frozen in shock, just like Gabriella at the grocery store, but he regains his composure a little easier than his wife, his eyes darkening as his face falls into a deep frown.

Before she knows what she's doing, she's offering him a sheepish smile and he's taking that as a sign he should come over and say hi.

She inwardly braces herself as he slowly makes his way over to her booth and smiles at her awkwardly as he rubs his neck.

"You have a baby," he states in lieu of a greeting, and Sharpay can't help but narrow her eyes at him as she notices the solemn tone of his voice, again reminiscent of Gabriella's reaction to Sabrina the other day.

"Yes, this is Iris," she says, pushing down the thought that she would rather tell Troy her daughter's real name as he crouches before her and examines the small, fidgety child in her arms.

"Hi, Iris," he says gently, and promptly, the baby stops crying, watching Troy with wide, confused, curious eyes.

Sharpay watches bemused as Troy reaches out his hand to Sabrina, who grabs onto his finger eagerly and lets out a small giggle.

Troy chuckles in return, giving the child a tender smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"You're good with her," Sharpay comments and Troy blushes as he stands up again, before glancing at the seat on the opposite side of the booth unsubtly.

Sharpay swallows, before offering him a nervous smile. "Join me, won't you?"

Troy rubs his neck again, before smiling sheepishly as he slides into the booth, still staring at Sabrina with amazement.

"Do you have children?" Sharpay inquires. She doubts he does, judging from the way he's looking at Sabrina longingly and the fact that she hasn't noticed anything about him and Gabriella that could point to them being parents.

Still, it surprises her when Troy casts his eyes downward and sadly shakes his head. "No. We really want one, though."

She always expected Troy and Gabriella to have children young. They've always seemed to like the type to have 2.5 children and a white house with the picket fence. They appear to have the second part, but it's difficult to wrap her head around the fact that she has become a mother before Gabriella.

"Well, I'm sure you'll make a great dad," she offers and she watches as his face clouds even further.

Avoiding meeting her gaze, he chuckles bashfully. "Thanks."

Just then, Todd arrives with Troy's food, offering both of them a smile.

Sharpay watches in disgust as Troy all but dives into the plate of food, greedily shoving bacon into his mouth.

"So, where's Gabriella?" she asks politely as she continues to rock Sabrina, who is still watching Troy's every move curiously.

Troy shrugs casually as he swallows a mouthful. "She had to go to work early."

"Oh, really, what does she do?" Sharpay asks, briefly wondering why she's suddenly so interested in Troy and Gabriella's life and _showing_ it.

She's sure it's some self-sabotage mechanism, learning about how much better than hers her old classmates' lives are.

"She's a paediatrician."

As much as Sharpay feel envious of Gabriella for becoming successful, she can't help but hum appreciatively. She has always wondered why Gabriella didn't choose a major that employed her love for science and math, but apparently, she has managed to fix that mistake.

Suddenly, Troy grins slyly, before he pulls a silly face and sticks out his tongue at Sabrina. The infant giggles enthusiastically in response and Sharpay can't help but laugh as well as she presses a soft kiss to the crown of her daughter's head.

"It's a shame Gabriella isn't here. I've been wanting to apologize to her," Sharpay says, her eyes widening in horror as she realizes what she just blurted out.

It's true, she does still want to apologize to her, but she still hasn't been able to push her fear and pride aside. Therefore, she's not quite sure why she's telling this to Gabriella's husband.

Troy's eyebrows furrow in confusion and Sharpay wants to breathe a sigh of relief as she realizes Gabriella hasn't told Troy what happened. Truth to be told, Sharpay was convinced Gabriella had probably whined about her to Troy, and she wouldn't have exactly blamed her this time around.

"For what?"

Sharpay merely shrugs, trying to keep up a casual façade. "We ran into each other at the grocery store and I was a little rude to her."

Troy's eyes darken at this, and Sharpay feels herself tense, certain that he thinks he's about to tell her off for being rude to his wife.

He probably thinks she hasn't changed a bit since they butted heads in high school. And although she has changed a lot, his judgment is probably earned.

Yet he just smiles at her a little uneasily. "I'll tell her."

This is her out, she knows that very well. This is her way of actually apologizing and putting this small mishap behind her without facing Gabriella directly.

However, his friendly grin awakens something in her, a fondness for him that she didn't know she still possessed. It's not romantic like it used to be, but it's still a desire to stay close to him, to be his friend.

They have only had small talk for a short amount of time, but there's something warm about being around him, something familiar and comforting, something that brings out the daring and confident side of her she thought she'd lost track of.

Maybe she shouldn't push him away.

"Do you and Gabriella want to come by this weekend? I feel guilty for how we got off on the wrong foot, so maybe I can make it up to you by making you two dinner?"

What did she just say?

Troy seems just as surprised as she is, his eyes widening as he contemplates her offer, before rubbing his neck again. "You're really worked up about this, aren't you?"

It's not intended to be teasing, but it still makes Sharpay rolls her eyes and glare at him. "Well, are you coming or not?"

Troy purses his lips as he contemplates it for a short moment that feels like hours to Sharpay. "I'd love to, but I have to run it by Gabriella."

Feeling relief wash over her that he hasn't rejected her offer right away, Sharpay grins brightly in response. While a huge part of her is terrified about this turn of events – which is her own fault, no less –, she can't help but feel a little excited.

"Great!"

* * *

 **A/N: Next up: dinner from hell!**

 **There's two things I need to note about that last scene. One, upon editing it, I realized there's definitely some vibes there between Troy and Sharpay, so I'm going to reiterate that I'm not going down that road. Two, it may seem a bit out of character for Sharpay to be inviting them over for dinner, but remember, she's very good at making decisions without foreseeing the consequences, and she's also just really lonely. I'll get more into her thought process regarding this impulse decision next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 5

This was a bad idea.

The moment Sharpay had come home from her unexpected breakfast with Troy, she immediately realized what she had done. She had invited him and Gabriella into her home. She had opened up to him – to _them_ – and made herself and Sabrina vulnerable.

And why? Because he was nice to her?

The past few days, she has been trying to think of reasons to cancel, ways to tell them not to come.

However, as much as she still appears to possess that same self-destructive behaviour that she exhibited in high school, she has apparently lost her ability to manipulate her way out of sticky situations.

Therefore, she finds herself currently sitting at a dinner table with the Boltons, an awkward silence between the three of them as they eat food she barely knows how to cook.

"The roast is nice, Vanessa," Gabriella breaks the silence, her voice a little weak, as Sharpay shoots her an awkward smile.

Neither of them have dared to acknowledge what happened between them, and it doesn't improve the atmosphere.

It's almost startling, not to be alone in the house. Deep down, she knows that this is the real reason she invited them over. Sure, she does feel guilty for acting the way she did to them – it's not their fault that the marshals didn't do their research thoroughly enough –, but it's not a good enough reason to drop the façade. However, the longer she's in this house alone, the more trapped she feels, and she's tired of this complete solitude.

It's too bad that Troy and Gabriella are really the only possible company – unless you count Todd, but she doesn't know him well enough to fully trust him. She knows she can trust Troy and Gabriella, even though she doesn't like them.

They, however, will eventually address the elephant in the room again, she's sure of it. They will eventually want to know why she's not Sharpay anymore and they will inevitably become a threat to her.

There's no way to win.

"So, Vanessa, tell us more about yourself," Gabriella tries to ease the tension once again. However, it just makes Sharpay feel stricken by fear.

She's had a lot of practice with getting her story straight – that's one thing that Debbie has been good for, at least –, but if there's even one detail that could lead her to confess that she's really Sharpay, she's screwed.

Of course, they already know she's Sharpay, but at least they can now still pretend that this isn't the case. If she reveals anything that could be linked to her old life, they would have to address the truth and she just isn't ready for that.

She doesn't think she'll ever be.

"Well, I grew up in Rhode Island," she starts, and immediately, she knows she's made a mistake as Gabriella perks up.

"Oh, we have a friend who grew up there as well!" she exclaims enthusiastically, and Sharpay feels her stomach drop, barely noticing as Troy sends Gabriella a glare and Gabriella blushes and bows her head in response.

Gabriella is talking about Ryan.

Oh, how envious Sharpay is of them. They do not only get to live their happily ever after, but they also get the one thing she misses most – Ryan.

For as far as she knows, her brother doesn't know she's here. He doesn't know anything that happened. He's out of her life. Meanwhile, Troy and Gabriella get to be his friends, call him, hear his voice, laugh with him.

She wonders if they've informed him that she's here. The thought of them telling him scares her – phones can be tracked after all –, while the thought of him knowing and not being able to contact her fills her with an immense sadness.

She hides her pain of remembering her brother, though, not responding to Gabriella's comment as she continues to tell Vanessa's backstory.

Troy and Gabriella listen intently, and sometimes they ask for further elaborations, but it's different from the way Debbie listens and inquires. They're actually earnestly interested in Vanessa, which Sharpay doesn't understand. They know it's all a lie, so why do they genuinely want to know about this fake person's life?

Are they trying to find the holes in her story like Debbie? Or are they genuinely trying to support her, even though all three of them know that she's lying? And if their intention is to be supportive, why? She has done nothing to earn their respect or friendship.

"So, you're a single mom? That must be hard," Troy suddenly remarks, casually, but he's watching her carefully, and she can see in his eyes that there's a strong question burning in them.

She also notices how Gabriella grimaces at the mention of Sharpay's motherhood and a part of her wants to smirk, to be smug and rub it in that there is something she's beaten Gabriella in.

Another part of her wonders why Gabriella keeps responding so oddly to the fact that Sharpay has a child, but she doesn't dwell on that.

"I mean, it's hard, but it's worth it," Sharpay replies truthfully.

That's to put it mildly. She must imagine it would be incredibly hard for any young single mother to raise a child alone, but the combination of that and being in a new place with an entirely new life only makes it more difficult.

"I bet," Troy says, smiling wistfully, before shooting a quick glance to Gabriella. "You know, if you ever need a babysitter, we can do it if we're not working."

Both women's heads shoot up in shock, and Troy rubs his neck awkwardly as he shrugs, shooting an apologetic look to Gabriella.

Gabriella narrows her eyes at her husband, before biting her lip and offering Sharpay a small, weak smile. "Yeah, we'd love to."

Sharpay wants to roll her eyes at Gabriella's obvious reluctance, but then smiles phonily. "I'll keep it in my mind."

She won't.

Then, she quickly changes the subject. "So, tell me more about your story. How did you two meet?"

Of course, she already knows their story. She hates their story. It's beautiful, reminiscent of a romantic comedy, and she finds it disgusting. She wishes she had gotten a story like theirs instead of the horror movie she's ended up in.

Troy and Gabriella share a goofy smile that makes Sharpay want to gag, before Gabriella starts telling their story, bashfully tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Well, it's kind of funny, actually. We met when we were paired up for karaoke at a New Year's Eve party and we just hit it off immediately. And then I ended up being transferred to his school and well, the rest is history."

Both of them smile wistfully at remembering the events that followed Gabriella's transfer to East High, while Sharpay feels discomfort bubble in her stomach. These events might have set off Troy and Gabriella's happily ever after, but they also set off Sharpay's spiral downwards.

Of course, Troy and Gabriella are not responsible for what happened to her husband and she doesn't blame them for that, but she does often what would have happened if she hadn't had to deal with their competition in high school.

Maybe her downfall after high school and the realization that not everything will always go her way would have been much worse, but if she hadn't had to worry about other people taking her spotlight, maybe she would have actually been able to follow her plans to go to Juilliard and consequently Broadway.

Maybe she wouldn't have met Don. Maybe she wouldn't have ended up like this.

Sharpay gives them a small smile as she absentmindedly plays with the food on her plate. "Wow, that's amazing."

Amazing and so incredibly frustrating.

"Well, it's not always been easy, though," Troy concedes, and Sharpay glares at him while resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Yeah, they've certainly had it hard, with their perfect high school romance and subsequent suburban life.

Not noticing Sharpay's dismay – or perhaps ignoring it –, Troy continues, "We tried out for the school musical after we met again and it kind of destroyed the entire social order at our school."

Gabriella laughs at the memory, but Sharpay can't hide the grimace that forms on her face as she bows her head to avoid looking at them.

Yeah, their audition had also destroyed everything that Sharpay held dear.

"Sorry, what was that?" Gabriella asks and Sharpay's head snaps again to see both Troy and Gabriella wearing matching confused facial expressions.

Shit, she said that out loud.

"I said social orders are bullshit anyway," she quickly lies and she can see neither Troy nor Gabriella believe her, but Troy still slowly nods, before shooting a bittersweet smile to Gabriella.

"We also broke up for a while the summer after junior year," he adds, all three pairs of eyes widening as the words slip from his mouth.

They broke up because of Sharpay's interference in their relationship.

Both Troy and Gabriella watch Sharpay's reaction carefully, while she slightly narrows her eyes at them. Are they trying to crack her?

She won't allow them. Cracking at this moment in time means addressing not only the truth about why she's here, but also their shared past.

She can't handle speaking to them about either of those topics, much less both simultaneously.

"Well, at least you got your happy ending, right?" she says, smiling politely.

Troy chuckles a little uneasily, looking down at his plate as he quietly murmurs, "Yes, happy ending."

Gabriella gulps at that and bites her lip. Sharpay can see that there's pain and remorse on both of their faces, and it makes her curious about what could possibly be bothering them. However, she decides to let it slide.

They're probably being overdramatic and she's not going to get involved in their lives. She wants to stay far away from them after tonight.

Suddenly, Sabrina starts screaming in the nursery above them and all of three of them grimace at the sound. Sharpay sends them an apologetic smile, before quickly making her way upstairs.

As she takes Sabrina out of her crib and holds her tightly to her chest, Sharpay lets out a breath she doesn't know she's been holding.

Why are Troy and Gabriella still bothering her so much? Whatever happened between the three of them should be insignificant compared what she's been through recently, but she's still bothered by them and the past they share together.

She's still bothered that they're better than her, that they have the happiness she seems perpetually unable to achieve, and their company is a constant reminder of how miserable she truly is.

With a frustrated sigh, she realizes that feeling alone and trapped might actually be better than being in Troy and Gabriella's company after all.

* * *

Having Troy and Gabriella over has been a bigger mistake than she originally estimated.

As awkward and forced as dinner with them had been, and as much as it had brought about unpleasant memories and dormant feelings of envy and contempt, she did enjoy not being alone in the house.

Ever since their dinner, Sharpay has felt even more lonely and trapped than before. The house is too quiet, too dull, too void of life, even with Sabrina's regular outbursts.

She could really use a drink – a good one, not the cheap wine she's bought at the grocery store that she's pretty sure is just grape juice.

Maybe she could get a drink at Todd's diner. She's pretty sure he serves them in the evening.

The thought of going out and having a drink is a nice one. It's one that she longs to make a reality.

However, there is one problem. Sabrina.

She loves Sabrina, she truly does, but lately, she's realized how much she needs a break from her. Just for one night. She feels guilty, especially because she is the one who has brought danger into her daughter's life, but she's human and there's only so much she can take of the baby's tantrums and constant need for attention.

A thought suddenly springs to her mind – Troy and Gabriella have offered to watch her if she ever wanted to.

She doubts they really meant it, and she really hasn't planned on taking them up on their offer. She doesn't want them to become even further entangled in her life and she also doesn't trust Sabrina with anyone besides herself.

However, as she stares at the white wall that she still hasn't decorated yet, she suddenly feels a bout of desperation overcomeh her. She knows at least one of them is home – she's seen Troy's truck in the driveway.

Glancing at Sabrina in her arms – currently asleep, thankfully –, she thinks about that day in the diner, when she almost decided to let Troy into her life after all because of how sweet he was towards her daughter.

She knows he'd be able to take care of her. She knows Gabriella would probably be able to do it as well.

Sabrina would be in good hands and Sharpay would get to take a break. She'd make it a short one. She'd just go to the bar, have one drink and then pick up Sabrina and all would be well.

So, in her desperation, she makes another impulsive and reckless decision and before she can overthink what she's doing, she's at the Boltons' doorstep, fidgeting as she waits for a response after ringing the doorbell.

It's Gabriella who answers and freezes as she finds Sharpay and her daughter at the door.

"Sha– Vanessa! What a nice surprise!"

Being face to face with Gabriella, Sharpay realizes she'll have to put her pride aside by asking the other woman for help. However, she's too desperate and lonely right now to care for anything but that stupid drink at Todd's stupid bar.

A voice in the back of her mind wonders if this is really worth it, but she ignores it.

Gulping, Sharpay smiles awkwardly. "I have a favour to ask. I know it's a bit sudden and I totally get it if you have other stuff to do, but could you watch Iris for me, please? It's only for an hour or so, I promise."

Gabriella doesn't answer, and instead just stares at Sabrina, who is cooing and making grabby hands at her.

It's then that Sharpay realizes that Gabriella has never properly met Sabrina. She's only seen her at the grocery store – when she and Troy were over, Sabrina was upstairs the entire time and neither of them had dared to follow Sharpay whenever she had to excuse herself to take care of her.

When Gabriella continues to stare at Sabrina wordlessly and bemused, Sharpay begins to feel uncomfortable. Here she is, admitting she needs Gabriella's help, and Gabriella doesn't even bother to reply.

If she weren't so desperate to get out of the house right now, she would probably snap at Gabriella again.

Sharpay hears shuffling and suddenly Troy appears behind Gabriella, and waves at Sabrina, the small girl giggling in response.

"We'd love to watch her," he says as he looks back up at Sharpay, before raising his eyebrows at Gabriella, who is still frozen like a statue.

He grabs Gabriella's elbows and gently squeezes, and Gabriella blinks, snapping out of her daze and smiling at Sharpay uneasily. "Sure."

Sharpay gulps, ignoring the voice in her head that reminds her how reckless and stupid this is, and smiles at them as she steps in their house, revelling at how homely and warm the decorations are.

Fifteen minutes later, after explaining everything to Troy and Gabriella and almost snuggling Sabrina to death before separation, she's on their porch again. Taking one last glance at their house, she pushes her fears to the back of mind and starts making her way to Todd's diner.

It will only be an hour. It will be okay.

* * *

 **A/N: Making horrid mistakes is in Sharpay's blood. I hope this won't seem to rushed, still, though, but I just wanted to show how desperate Sharpay truly is, and that as much as she hates to admit it at this point, she's starting to realize that Troy and Gabriella are the only people she can turn to.**

 **As always, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!**


	7. Chapter 6

_She's tired. So tired. Yet she doesn't want to sleep._

 _She doesn't want to close her eyes. She doesn't want to miss a single moment. She wants to stay like this forever, with the warm, pink bundle in her arms, tucked against her chest._

 _Her daughter is so small. Sharpay had no idea humans could_ be _this small and it makes her feel even more in awe of her._

 _She wants to protect this beautiful, perfect, tiny baby girl from all the bad things the world has to offer. She wants to protect her from all the atrocities that she has experienced, some of which she has been responsible for herself._

 _How she's wished throughout the past nine months that this wasn't happening, that this bundle of cells wasn't growing into a living being beneath her skin, that things were different._

 _Looking at her newborn daughter now, she feels so bad about how many times she's thought about not wanting her. How could she not have wanted something so hauntingly beautiful in her life?_

 _However, a conflict still rages inside her head. Right now, her wish for things to be different doesn't concern the fact that her daughter exists anymore – instead it concerns the situation in which she's been welcomed into this world._

 _Sharpay wishes that this would be a moment of complete happiness, yet she's forced to share it with someone she's not happy with. She's forced to experience it in a life full of misery._

 _"She's so beautiful," she hears Don murmur beside her and Sharpay smiles at him tiredly, ignoring how much his presence infuriates her._

 _She wishes she was looking into loving, blue eyes right now, not into a pair of dark, cold ones. She wishes the person she loves to be here instead of the person she's grown to loathe most._

 _"Do you want to hold her?" she asks, as she looks back at Sabrina, trying to rid herself of wishful thoughts that can't come to fruition._

 _She doesn't want to give Sabrina up to him, though. She wants to keep her as far away from him as possible, keep her away from his treacherous touch, from the danger he would pose to her._

 _However, fathers should be allowed to hold their newborn children, right? It's his moment, too, as much as she wishes it weren't._

 _Don watches Sabrina thoughtfully, pursing his lips, before shaking his head. "No, I think she's comfortable with you."_

 _Sharpay's eyes meet Don's for a moment and she can see the anger and contempt and acknowledgement of the truth in them, and it makes her want to find a hole to disappear into forever._

 _There's an unspoken agreement between them, an unspoken acknowledgement that both of them know the truth._

 _This is not Don's moment. It's another man's._

 _However, both of them also know that it can't be another man's moment. Don doesn't want it to be, and Sharpay doesn't know how it could be._

 _She thinks of the countless hours she's spent in another man's arms, the countless hours she's spent in blissful ignorance of reality, the countless hours she has spent betraying her husband, but not caring because she's escaped his cruelty._

 _She also thinks of the countless times another man's warm hand has caressed her skin, how another man has seen and traced the numerous bruises on her body wordlessly, how another man has succeeded to ease her pain._

 _She also thinks about the many times another man has watched her, prepared to say something, to beg her to leave Don and to stay in his arms for good, to allow him take his rightful place in her then unborn child's life. She knows his opinion on the situation, she knows how badly he wants to help her, but he's never voiced his concerns._

 _She doesn't want him to do that. She doesn't want to hear the words tumble from his mouth. She doesn't want to hear the truth. It hurts too much and it makes everything too real._

 _She knows he's right. She knows she should leave. She knows she should protect herself from the harm that Don continuously brings her way._

 _She doesn't know how to. There's no way to win here. If she stays, she'll continue to get hurt, and if she leaves, she's afraid he'll find her and the pain he'll inflict upon her will be even worse._

 _And, as much as she wants to spare Sabrina a life with this monstrous man, she's afraid he'll hurt her daughter as well if she leaves._

 _"I love you," Don's voice interrupts her stream of thoughts and Sharpay's head snaps up to frown at him. Once upon a time, she'd believed him, she'd revelled in hearing those words spoken in his voice. Now, they just feel hollow and empty and they enrage her._

 _Nobody would treat someone they love the way that Don treats her._

 _"I love you, too," she responds, her words just as meaningless as his, and she watches Don's jaw clench as he looks back and forth between mother and daughter._

 _Both of them know that neither of them means those words and they haven't for a long time, if ever at all._

 _However, there is someone that Sharpay loves more than anything now. Sabrina._

 _Tracing her finger along her baby girl's angelic face, she vows to find a way to leave._

 _She vows to find a way to give Sabrina the life full of love that she deserves._

* * *

"Why did you say yes?"

Troy looks up from his spot on the floor, where Iris is trying to roll over on her stomach with a giggle.

Gabriella has her arms crossed, and is watching him with a deep frown, feeling a tug at her heart at seeing her husband interact with the small child.

It pains her to see how well he handles children, to know how good a father he would be. She wishes she could see him with their own child.

Troy shoots her an apologetic look as he shrugs casually, before returning his attention to Iris, smiling at the baby gently.

"I just wanted to help out a friend," he murmurs, not daring to look up at Gabriella as she sighs in response.

She's not sure she'd actually call Sharpay – or Vanessa or whoever she is – a friend. It's no secret that they share a complicated past and although Gabriella has forgiven Sharpay a long time ago, there's no indication that Sharpay is ready to bury the hatchet.

She knows that Sharpay at least tried to be civil to them by having them over for dinner, but she could sense that the blonde would rather have been anywhere else and joined by other company.

She has no idea what Sharpay's deal really is. One moment, she's yelling at Gabriella to stay away from her, and the next she's asking her to look after her infant daughter.

If Sharpay wants to stay away from her and Troy, she probably should not have asked such a favour of them.

"We have no idea how to take care of a baby," Gabriella protests, and as if on cue, Sabrina starts screaming, both adults wincing at the loudness that she's definitely inherited from her mother.

Troy quickly picks Iris up from the floor and holds her against his chest, softly rocking her and gently shushing her.

"Could you grab a bottle from the fridge? Sharpay said she might get hungry," Troy comments between making comforting sounds that don't seem to have any effect on the crying child.

Grumbling with irritation, Gabriella marches to the kitchen to grab a bottle as requested. As she returns and gives it to him, she pulls a face. "You know, I never thought I'd ever be holding a bottle of Sharpay Evans's breast milk."

Troy snorts with laughter as he starts feeding Iris, who immediately calms down and starts gorging on the liquid with wide, blue eyes.

"Might I remind you that you're a paediatrician?" Troy says, looking up at Gabriella with a pointed look as Iris continues to drink in his arms.

Gabriella bites her lip, taking back the bottle from him as Iris is finished and he starts gently tapping her back to making her burp.

"This is different," Gabriella says stubbornly, pouting as Troy raises his eyebrows at her incredulously.

"It's still a small child. How is it different? Because you're with me?" he asks, and Gabriella feels taken aback by the hurt that is swimming in his eyes.

She hates causing him pain. She hates that it's her fault that they're both hurt, even if he doesn't seem to think she's to blame.

She sighs as she shakes her head, trying to find the words. "I'm just…"

Scared. Hurt. Angry.

Troy sighs as he balances Iris so that she's just on one arm instead of both and grabs Gabriella's hand with his free one, squeezing softly, comfortingly.

"I know."

With an annoyed sigh, Gabriella lets go of his hand and moves to the couch, throwing her hands up in the air in desperation as she sits down. "I wish I didn't feel this way, but I do."

"I know," Troy repeats, quietly, and Gabriella feels her lip start to tremble and the tears well up in her eyes as she stares at her hands in her lap.

She wishes things were different.

She hears Troy shuffle around the room, before a weight lands next to her on the couch. Looking up from her lap, she smiles sadly at Troy and Iris, the latter watching her curiously from her position in Troy's arms.

"Do you want to hold her?" Troy asks, noticing Iris's curiosity, and Gabriella freezes as she stares at the small child, before looking back into her husband's warm, encouraging eyes.

"Sure," she squeaks nervously, gulping as she opens her arms and Troy gently lifts Iris to her hold.

The baby whimpers fearfully as she has moved into Gabriella's arms, and Gabriella braces herself from the outburst that's bound to come from being removed from Troy's grip.

It doesn't come. Instead, the girl's eyes widen with interest and her tiny mouth falls open as she stares up at Gabriella. Her eyes are so blue, Gabriella notices, and for a moment, she entertains the notion that this is the same blue that Troy's eyes possess. For a moment, she imagines that this child is hers and Troy's, that she comes home to this small bundle of joy every night.

Suddenly, Iris's arms fly up and she gurgles enthusiastically as she grabs onto a dark curl and pulls. Gabriella giggles in response, before smiling softly as she whispers, "Hi."

From beside her, Troy nudges her and she smiles up at him, seeing the same mixture of adoration, mirth and bittersweet melancholy in his eyes that she feels upon seeing him with Iris.

She could get used to this, she thinks as she pulls Iris to her chest and hugs her softly.

She knows she may never have this for herself, so she decides not to take this evening for granted.

One evening will never be enough, though, but for now, it will have to do.

* * *

Sharpay has had more than one drink. Much more.

Until tonight, she didn't realize how trapped and restrained she's truly felt and how long she's felt that way. She's been so consumed with fear and anxiety for such a long time – since long before she arrived here – that she doesn't even remember how good it feels not to constantly worry.

It's also definitely not a bad thing that a cute guy is trying to hit on her, even though in the back of her mind, she wishes that the guy's eyes were blue instead of green and that he was someone else.

"I cannot believe that someone like you is single and here in this dump," the guy – she doesn't even remember his name; she thinks it's Matt or something, but she doesn't care – says with a boisterous laugh. He's not nearly as drunk as her, but she can still see a tipsy daze in his eyes.

"Well, I don't really have a choice," she says, a little too loudly, blinking and grabbing onto the bar as she suddenly feels dizzy, while the guy raises his eyebrows at her.

"What do you mean, you don't have a choice?"

Sharpay shrugs. She could spill her entire story now, and it's tempting, for he's a stranger and neither of them are likely to remember anything that happened tomorrow morning, but a rational, sober part keeps her from doing so.

No one is to be trusted, especially not a random guy she's just met at a bar.

"Don't worry about it," she says, before downing the last of the liquid in her glass and puts it down on the bar loudly, alerting Todd.

"Todd! Give me another one!" she exclaims, bouncing excitedly in her seat, but Todd just eyes her sceptically, before shaking his head and prying the glass from her hands.

"I think you've had enough," he says resolutely, rolling his eyes as Sharpay pouts at him and whines his name.

"Come on, give her another one. Business is business," the guy she's flirting with defends her and Todd shakes his head again, ignoring the way the aggravated daggers the other guy is shooting him as he watches Sharpay with concern.

"You'll do something you'll regret," he says softly. "Remember you have a daughter at home."

"A daughter?!"

She barely hears the guy's indignant exclaim as her body freezes and sobers up slightly.

A daughter. Sabrina. In her drunken haze, she's forgotten about Sabrina. She's left Sabrina alone with Troy and Gabriella for god knows how long and for what? To get inebriated and sleep with a random guy?

What kind of mother is she?

Probably the kind of mother she's always imagined herself being before all of this happened. She's never imagined herself to be an attentive mother, if she ever had children in the first place, but she's never imagined herself to be in the situation she's in right now, with a dead husband she hates, stuck in a town she doesn't want to be in, forced to take on a new identity.

Through all of this, Sabrina has been the only thing that's brought joy and love into her life. It's the only thing she has left of her old life, the only thing she _wants_ to have left.

Sabrina is the only good thing she has. Sharpay should put her first instead of her desire to get drunk and make bad decisions.

She should be home, keeping her daughter safe, not at a bar with a random stranger.

"I have to go," she states, her voice trembling with fear and regret, before hastily grabbing her purse. Before she leaves, however, she shoots the guy a sheepish, apologetic smile.

"Sorry, uhm…"

"Mark," the guy supplies his name, glaring at her with his arms crossed over his chest.

Sharpay nods dazedly. "Mark."

And before he can say anything else, she's rushing out of Todd's diner, on her way home to Sabrina where she's supposed to be.

* * *

Ringing the Boltons' doorbell five times, Sharpay fidgets in her place as the seconds that feel like eternity tick by before Troy appears in the doorway.

She doesn't give him a chance to greet her, immediately rushing into the house, pushing him out of the way as she exclaims, "Sabrina!"

She finds Sabrina in the living room, bundled up in Gabriella's arms, and with a sigh of relief, Sharpay rips the infant from Gabriella's arms and holds her tightly.

She's okay. She's safe.

"Sabrina. Oh, Sabrina, I'm so sorry," she whispers, feeling the tears well up in her eyes while Sabrina lets out a confused noise in her arms.

"Sabrina?" Gabriella's voice comes from beside her. "I thought her name was Iris."

Sharpay shakes her head firmly as she rocks Sabrina in her arms and stares at her daughter lovingly. "It's Sabrina."

In the back of her head, she realizes that this confession might cause Troy and Gabriella to have some questions, but she doesn't care right now. The only thing she cares about is that Sabrina is okay and safely in her arms.

"Are you drunk?" Gabriella asks again, as a bewildered Troy shuffles back into the room, and it's then that Sharpay realizes how close to Gabriella she's sitting.

Gabriella must have noticed the smell of alcohol in her breath, or her flushed cheeks, Sharpay thinks as she narrows her eyes at her in a glare, noticing the judgmental disbelief in both Gabriella's voice and face.

"Oh, don't you dare judge me, Montez," she hisses bitterly, her eyes widening quickly as Gabriella's disbelief morphs into confusion.

Gabriella has never mentioned her maiden name to Vanessa.

The current situation should alarm Sharpay. She should be running away right now, she should be putting up her walls, she should be fearing for her safety, for she can't hide from them any longer.

But, in her current mixture of inebriation and relief that Sabrina is back in her arms, she can't bring herself to care anymore. She's done with hiding behind a façade that she knows isn't working on them anyway. She's too tired to keep up the act, too far gone to care about anything other than the precious child in her arms.

She's already revealed Sabrina's true identity in her desperation, and Sabrina's safety is the only thing that matters. She doesn't care about her own interests anymore, just Sabrina's, so if Troy and Gabriella know who Sabrina is, she might as well tell her about her own true identity as well.

She rolls her eyes as Gabriella continues to stare at her confusedly. "Don't act all innocent. We both know you know the truth."

Then, she turns to Troy, who is watching the scene before him in wordless shock. "And you know, too."

The shock dissipates from Troy's face as his eyes darken and he crosses his arms over his chest. "And what is the truth?"

His voice is gentle, but there is a challenge hidden in his words and his near disbelief that she would actually confess makes her scowl at him, as the truth finally spills from her mouth.

"That I'm Sharpay Evans."

An uncomfortable silence befalls all of them as the words hang in the air between them, the truth finally in the open. She can see the millions of questions in both Troy and Gabriella's eyes, but neither of them dares to voice them, dares to cut the tension.

And then she suddenly feels nauseous.

"Where's your toilet?"

Troy blinks in surprise and then points to the hallway, and Sharpay quickly passes off Sabrina to him, before barely making it to the toilet in time for her to empty the contents of her stomach.

Cringing at the wretched smell, she feels tears start to form in her eyes as the realization hits her what she's just done.

Revealing her own identity is so much worse than revealing Sabrina's. They're looking for _her_ , not for her daughter, but it's her daughter whose safety she fears for. In not caring about herself anymore, she's put the one person she does care about in danger. This is a much worse mistake than getting drunk.

Before she can dwell further on the ramifications of her actions, she suddenly hears someone come into the bathroom and kneel beside her and a soft hand pull her hair away from her face.

Looking up, she's met with Gabriella's sympathetic smile.

"I know we don't have a cradle for Sabrina, but you're staying here tonight," Gabriella says, her tone soft, yet stern. "We won't let you be alone like this."

Sharpay almost wants to laugh hysterically. She went out tonight because she didn't want to feel alone anymore, but somehow, this offer only makes things worse.

However, before she can protest, she feels the nausea come up again. Moaning, she pukes again, while Gabriella comfortingly rubs her back.

They stay there for a while, Sharpay vomiting while Gabriella holds her hair, until they're sure it's over.

"Fine, I'll stay," Sharpay declares reluctantly, feeling too tired and sick to protest anymore as she lets Gabriella pull her up and lead her back to the living room, where Troy has set up blankets for her on the couch and placed a now sleeping Sabrina in the carrier.

As he hands Sharpay a glass of water, she smiles a small, vulnerable smile, before plopping down on the couch.

Both Troy and Gabriella are staring at her, a little uneasily, both obviously curious yet scared to ask the many questions burning on their minds.

"I don't want to talk about it," she tells them curtly before they can ask anything, feeling her eyes slowly starting to close as a sense of drowsiness overcomes her.

Troy and Gabriella share a look, neither responding for a moment, before Troy nods slowly in agreement and Gabriella whispers, "Okay."

"I just want to go to sleep," Sharpay says, quietly and vulnerably, as she manoeuvres herself to be lying down on the couch.

As she slowly starts to lose consciousness, she barely registers that Gabriella gently pulls the covers over her.

The last thing she remembers is the concern and care in both Troy and Gabriella's eyes.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, the truth is out! Also, at this point, I think I should rename this fic** _ **Sharpay Evans makes a series of incredibly poor decisions**_ **, lol.**

 **This and the upcoming few chapters have been my favourite parts to write for this fic and I think (or at least hope) it shows. I'm very excited to see your response, so please leave a review, that would mean the world to me!**


	8. Chapter 7

_A shower is just what she needed._

 _Sharpay sighs as she wraps her towel around her body and turns to the mirror. The bags are still under her eyes, and she can still see the weariness in her gaze and on her tired features, but she feels a little better._

 _She feels a little cleaner, a little more relaxed, a little better able to ignore the fact that hands that weren't her husband's were on her body just this morning and that her husband's own hands have made her feel much dirtier than her infidelity has._

 _After quietly applying body lotion, paying extra attention to rubbing the skin that's recently been bruised, and then blow-drying her hair, she makes her way to the bedroom, only to freeze in alarm._

 _She's hearing voices downstairs. One of them is definitely Don, but the other one, deep, masculine, and angry, is unfamiliar._

 _Quickly, she throws on her bathrobe and starts tiptoeing down the stairs, curious, suspicious and a little frightened of the obvious argument Don is having with the unknown guest._

 _Angry Don is never a good thing._

 _Arriving downstairs, she tries to keep herself hidden as she sees the two figures in the living room. Don is facing the doorway and she can see the all too familiar snarl on his face as he runs a frustrated hand through his hair, too focused on the guest, whose back is turned to her, to notice her._

 _She quickly hides besides the doorway, just out of Don's potential line of sight, as she listens to the conversation._

 _"Tell them I'm not doing it," she hears Don hiss irately, and she feels an involuntary shudder run through her body, knowing that tone all too well._

 _She hears the other person let out a frustrated sigh and click his tongue disapprovingly. "You just have to go and accept the shipment, Don. It's not like we're asking you to kill somebody. Don't act like a little bitch now."_

 _Sharpay scoffs at the use of the derisive term, but she can't help but her curiosity. She and Don have an unspoken agreement that she doesn't ever ask about details about his work, for she truthfully doesn't care and he doesn't seem to want to explain it either, but something about this impromptu meeting gives her a bad feeling and she wants to know more._

 _Don huffs, whispering something under his breath that Sharpay can't make out, before replying, "Look, we had an agreement that you wouldn't visit me at home and yet you're here, aren't you? If you're going to act like a little bitch, I'm going to, too."_

 _"I wouldn't have had to visit you at home if you had just responded to Robinson's text."_

 _She hears Don's breathing grow heavier and she feels her own heart start to beat faster. She knows what happens next. She knows what he's capable of, both physically and verbally._

 _However, the explosion doesn't come. Instead, she hears him exhale deeply. "Look, you're right. My burner phone died and that's on me. But you can't just barge in here while my wife is home."_

 _Burner phone? Between this and the fact that he apparently has to pick up some shipment at night, she's truly starting to feel suspicious._

 _She hears a snicker. "Aww, you care about her?"_

 _"And you don't care about your wife?"_

 _If she wasn't secretly eavesdropping, Sharpay would have laughed at his lack of denial. If he does care for her, he has a really funny way of showing it._

 _"Relax, we won't hurt her. As long as you cooperate, that is."_

 _Sharpay feels a shudder go down her spine. Are they using her to threaten Don? Why are they threatening him in the first place? What the hell is going on?_

 _Don sighs again. "Fine. I'll go. But get out of my house before my wife catches you."_

It's a little too late for that _, Sharpay thinks. However, she realizes it is not too late for them to catch her spying on them from the hallway, so before she hears any movement, she quickly pulls herself together and makes her presence known by appearing in the doorway, leaning against the doorpost confidently._

 _With a fake smile, she greets Don, her voice a little too perky. "Hi, babe. I didn't know we were expecting any guests!"_

 _Both men turn to her and Sharpay can finally get a good look at the other man. He's tall with a strong build and dark and slicked-back hair, and he's leering at her with that same dangerous glint in his eyes that she recognizes from Don's gaze._

 _Don's eyes have also darkened, but his fury is not directed at her for once, instead aimed at the other man for obviously checking her out._

 _She doesn't know what makes her more uncomfortable – this stranger's creepy gaze or Don's possessiveness as he walks over to her and quickly pulls her against him and squeezes her shoulder a little too tightly._

 _"This is Nathan Lloyd. Nathan, this is my wife Sharpay," Don introduces them, before offering Sharpay an insincere smile that mirrors her own. "Nathan is a colleague of mine. He came here because of a work emergency."_

 _"Sharpay. That's a funny name," Nathan pipes up and Sharpay narrows her eyes at him, offended but too creeped out by him to retort. She notices the lust in his eyes disappear as he looks at her inquisitively as if he wants to commit everything about her to memory and it makes her feel all the more queasy._

 _She feels Don's grip on her tighten as he glares at Nathan. "We actually have to go take care of some business right now, don't we, Nathan?"_

 _Nathan looks back to Don with a smug smirk, obviously noticing Don's displeasure with his scrutiny of Sharpay, before nodding._

 _Sharpay raises an eyebrow as she looks at Don. "Right now? It's 8 pm."_

 _She's grateful she doesn't see any anger in Don's gaze for questioning him as he shrugs. "It really can't wait. I'm sorry, honey."_

 _She resists the urge to roll her eyes at his use of the pet name._

 _"I'll have him back to you in an hour," Nathan promises, staring at her dangerously again, unnerving her so much that she decides it might be better to drop it._

 _They're out of the house within a few minutes, leaving Sharpay alone with a million questions about what Don is up to and a feeling of dread and imminent danger that she can't shake._

 _In hindsight, she would find out that she was right to be suspicious. In hindsight, this would be the true beginning of the end, the last straw before her life would turn into nothing but ruins._

 _In hindsight, the danger in Nathan's eyes is something that would plague her worst nightmares for years to come._

* * *

Her head is pounding. The lights are too bright. Sabrina's screams are unbearably loud.

When Sharpay wakes up, her first thought is that she is never drinking again. As much as she hasn't felt as free as she did last night in a long time, she also hasn't felt a hangover as bad as this one in a while either.

Her second thought is that she has screwed up royally.

As she cracks open her eyes, she is met with an empty living room, but she immediately notices the glass of water on the table in front of her.

Groaning as she sits up slowly, agonizingly, she grabs the water and takes a few big gulps, sighing in pleasure as the liquid seeps down her sore, dry throat.

"Oh, you're up."

With a small gasp, she turns to her left, where Troy is standing, rocking a now much quieter Sabrina on his arm, and a bottle of her breast milk in his hand. He blushes as Sharpay cocks her head at him.

"She was hungry," he explains with a shrug as he hands Sabrina to her and Sharpay supresses a wince at how much the sound of his voice makes her head ache. "How is the hangover?"

Sharpay merely groans again as she lays her head against Sabrina's scalp, shutting her eyes with agony. "I need you to stop talking, Bolton."

Troy chuckles at that, throwing his hands up in defence, but the amusement quickly disappears from his face as he narrows his eyes at her slightly, a hand flying up to his neck in discomfort as he appears to contemplate something.

If Sharpay wasn't feeling so sick, she would have run out of the house right now in an attempt to get as far away from him and his wife as possible and avoid the inevitable confrontation.

How could she have done this? How could she have given up her secret to them so easily? It's true that they all already knew the truth, but up until last night, she was at least able to pretend. She could still attempt to raise doubt in their minds about her identity, she could still hide behind the façade.

Now they know for certain, without a doubt that she's Sharpay Evans, because she told them so herself.

Why do Troy and Gabriella keep getting entangled in her life like this? Why does she always act so recklessly around them? Why does she always have the urge to self-destruct when they are around?

This is much worse than the backfiring of any of her high school schemes, though. This is a matter of life and death and she's well on her way to ensuring that it will end with the latter.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Troy open his mouth to say something to her, most likely about what happened last night, but he's interrupted by a new set of footsteps approaching.

Gabriella appears behind Troy and falters in her step as she sees Sharpay is awake, her doe eyes widening in panic.

"G-Good morning," she stutters quietly, and Sharpay just grunts in response as Troy and Gabriella share a nervous look.

If she weren't so distraught by the situation she has put herself in, she would have felt envy at how Troy and Gabriella are staring at each other, appearing to communicate without words. She wishes she could have someone at her side who understands her like that.

She almost had that once, but then her poor life choices got in the way.

However, as enraging as Troy and Gabriella's silent communication is, it's also quite evident that Troy and Gabriella are undetermined about how to handle this situation. She could use that to her advantage, she could try to get the upper hand.

"Do you like scrambled eggs?" Gabriella finally asks, her voice trembling a little, and Sharpay rolls her eyes in response.

"They're okay," she responds curtly, before lifting herself off the couch – which turns out to be harder than it should be because of the damn hangover – and placing Sabrina in the carrier beside the couch.

She then turns to Troy and Gabriella, a menacing glare in her eyes that makes both of them take a step back, their eyes widened like deer caught in the headlights.

"Last night didn't happen," she snaps at them, and shakes her head as both of them open their mouths to protest. "And if you ever tell anyone about what I told you, there will be hell to pay."

Of course, she might not even be the person that would make them pay, but she won't tell them that.

She sees Troy's jaw clench while Gabriella purses her lips, but neither respond, so she crosses her arms over her chest and raises her eyebrows at them. "I'm not kidding. Promise me."

She hates how frantic she sounds, how she continues to show them her weaknesses, but she _is_ desperate.

There is too much on the line. She could lose the two last things she has left – Sabrina and her life.

Troy and Gabriella share another look, before Gabriella slowly steps forward and nods solemnly, genuine sympathy in her eyes. "We promise."

Gabriella slowly reaches up to Sharpay's shoulder but Sharpay quickly manoeuvres herself out of reach with a quick nod, before grabbing the carrier and stepping to Troy and ripping the bottle out of his hand.

"Thank you for last night," she says, with an uneasy smile. "I'll see myself out."

However, before she can make her way out of the house, she feels a large hand grab her wrist. The touch is firm yet soft and it almost makes her want to cry, for she hasn't been touched like this, with so much care, in a long time.

"Sharpay…"

Her breath hitches. She hasn't heard that name in so long, especially not spoken with such care and concern.

She looks into Troy's warm, blue eyes for a moment, before shaking her head furiously. "It's Vanessa now."

And without another word, she all but runs out of the living room, out of their house, back to her safe yet suffocating solitude.

* * *

She's had a million thoughts and questions on her mind since she was left here alone, a million things she's been wanting to discuss when she'd see her marshal Anderson again, but when Anderson sits down next to her on the bench in the park, she can't remember any of them.

The only thing that remains on her mind is the guilt over what happened yesterday. Of course she would make her biggest mistake and do the one thing she wasn't supposed to do just before she'd meet Anderson again.

"So, how have you been holding up?" is the first thing that Anderson asks. It surprises her – despite the hint of sympathy he showed her the day she arrived here, she hasn't pegged him to be the kind to be personal with someone like her.

Sharpay shrugs, keeping a straight face, but she can't help but smile in amusement when Sabrina makes an attempt to grab the coffee cup that Anderson is holding.

"Iris, don't," she warns, swatting the tiny hand away before biting her lip as she contemplates her answer to Anderson's question.

He probably already knows the truth about her current state. She assumes he's seen this many times before and she doubts that anyone has been able to deal well with what she's going through. However, she also doubts that many people have been as dumb as she has been by revealing their real identity to people she used to know from high school and endangering themselves even further in the process.

"I've been okay," she states flatly, staring at Sabrina as she utters the words, before hesitantly looking up at Anderson.

His eyes are covered with sunglasses and his face is set in his signature stoic grimace, but she can feel an oddly comforting aura radiating off him.

He doesn't ask her to elaborate, probably aware that there isn't much to elaborate on, other than that she's trying to keep it together – he doesn't know how horribly she's failing, though. Instead of asking more question about her well-being, he silently sips on his coffee.

"Have you been in contact with anyone from your previous life?" he asks, turning to smile at a passer-by as Sharpay does the same.

"No," she answers resolutely.

She likes to think that's the truth, even taking into consideration the Troy and Gabriella situation. They were not a part of her life when all of this happened. Nobody would think to tie them to her.

"Does anyone here know who you are?"

Sharpay purses her lips as she inwardly curses. She has anticipated this question, but now it's actually been uttered, she has no idea how to respond.

The responsible and right thing to do is to confess. She would probably be relocated, and have to start over again, but that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. At least she'd be sure she'd be safe and that she would be far away from her pesky neighbours who keep getting entangled in her life and making everything worse.

Of course, it's not exactly Troy and Gabriella's fault that she screwed up – all things considered, they've been incredibly patient and understanding –, but there's no denying that there's something that makes her react badly to being around them and she doesn't want to know what else she'd be capable of if she stayed in their general vicinity for much longer.

However, there's also something strangely comforting about being around them. In a strange way, it seems like they care for her and she hasn't had someone care for her in a long time.

As much as she wants to stay as far away from them as she can, especially after her confession, she also wants to stay close to them and revel in the warmth they provide amidst the utter chaos in her life and mind.

The thought of having people she can rely on, even if it's _them_ , is so comforting, and the thought of having to start over and be completely alone a second time frightens her so much that she can't bring herself to tell the truth.

"No."

If she wants to destroy her own life, she might as well go all the way.

Anderson gives a curt, satisfied nod, before asking, "And have you noticed anything suspicious?"

Sharpay supresses a scoff. What kind of question is that? Everything has seemed suspicious to her; every stranger who looks at her, every car that passes by, everything anyone ever says to her.

But the more she thinks about it, the more she realizes that there hasn't been anything suspicious at all. Perhaps Debbie has asked too many questions, perhaps Troy and Gabriella have seemed too eager to befriend her despite their past, but none of them actually seem to have malevolent intent.

Nobody here seems to be actually after her.

Therefore, she shakes her head. "No, not that I can think of."

Another nod.

Sharpay turns to Anderson and bites her lip, before asking one question that does still remain on her mind, especially the past few days.

"How long will I be here?"

She sees a glimmer of pity in Anderson's eyes as he lowers his shades. "Nathan Lloyd has gone off the grid."

Sharpay gulps as she realizes what this means. She is going to be here indefinitely. She has already considered that possibility, and a part of her has expected it, but to have it confirmed still feels like a punch to the gut.

"We're doing everything we can to get you home," Anderson continues calmly as Sharpay fights back the tears.

Home. She doesn't think she has one to return to.

But everything is better than being here, better than constantly feeling like she's drowning.

"I'm sorry," Anderson says apologetically, watching carefully for her reaction, and Sharpay suppresses a sob as she feels Sabrina snuggle closer to her.

They sit silently for a moment, before a small sympathetic smile graces Anderson's face. "I have to go. You know how to contact me."

Sharpay sighs and nods, still attempting to blink back the tears as Anderson squeezes her shoulder reassuringly, before standing up. She watches him retreat and eventually disappear, leaving her alone with her misery.

"Who was that?"

Sharpay snaps out of her daze, before frowning up at the figure towering over her and Sabrina.

It's Mark, the guy from the bar. He's obviously on a jog, wearing sports clothes and earbuds, and sweating and panting heavily.

He's also not nearly as cute when she's sober.

"I have no idea," she answers, rubbing Sabrina's back as the infant stares up at Mark curiously. "He just sat down next to me and we talked about the weather."

Mark narrows his eyes. "I was just wondering, because you look a little upset."

"Hay fever," she replies with a casual shrug and he hums thoughtfully as he continues to examine her.

As Sharpay narrows her eyes at him, too, for he's staring a little too long for her liking, he suddenly blinks and points to Sabrina. "So, that's your daughter."

Sharpay just nods and softly tickles Sabrina's stomach, laughing along with Sabrina's delighted giggles.

"She's cute," Mark remarks, smiling at her kindly. However, something in his gaze makes her want to hold onto Sabrina more tightly and keep her away from him.

When he looks back up at Sharpay, she notices that there's something sinister in his eyes, but it's different than the darkness she's been accustomed to seeing in her late husband's eyes. The hostility is mixed with a hint of an apology and reluctance, and she's confused as to where it comes from.

Then, he suddenly smiles a little too widely. "Well, we've got to hold on tight to our loved ones, right?"

Sharpay's eyebrows furrow, but she doesn't inquire further. Something tells her that this guy is up to no good and she doesn't want to get involved with him.

She's involved with enough bad things already.

So, she just nods and smiles politely. "Yeah."

That odd mixture of malice and reluctance haunts her for the rest of the day, though, and she nearly dials Anderson's number that she has safely tucked away under her pillow.

However, the bad feeling Mark has given her is just based on intuition and nothing tangible. But she knows to trust her instincts. Something is wrong.

She just hopes her suspicions won't end in tragedy this time.

* * *

 **A/N: So, are Mark and Nathan both creepy or what? More on them will come in due time...**

 **Also, I've been updating this weekly, but I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm on vacation next week, so the next update will be in two weeks!**

 **Once again, please leave a review and please come yell to me at bisexualsharpay on Tumblr!**


	9. Chapter 8

Having to hide from criminals sucks. Having to hide from criminals _and_ the Boltons sucks even more.

Despite the comforting idea of having friends like Troy and Gabriella to depend on when necessary, she's still frightened about the fact that they know who she is.

She can't be around them, she can't risk the possibility of spilling more details to them, but it's very hard to completely avoid someone when they're living right next door.

In the past week, she's been feeling more lonely and trapped than ever before, which she didn't think possible. She's been nearly too scared to leave the house and risk running into either of the Boltons. It nearly happened once, with Troy standing in his driveway when she returned from a walk in the park. They hadn't interacted beyond a nod of recognition, as Troy seemed to be in a rush, but even the sight of him terrified her.

Returning from giving Sabrina a diaper change at Todd's to find both Troy and Gabriella at the table across from hers is even more terrifying.

She feels her breath gets stuck in her throat as she meets Troy's eyes, his eyes widening as he recognizes her, and she quickly averts his eyes from his as she considers her options.

She could run and cause a scene. Or she could pretend that nothing is wrong and sit down and drink coffee.

The first option is tempting, especially when Troy mutters something to Gabriella, and Gabriella turns around to stare at her, too. However, she's also aware that causing a scene is exactly what she shouldn't do right now.

So, reluctantly, she sits back down at the table and takes Sabrina on her lap, ignoring Troy and Gabriella's eyes on her.

When she does look up and accidentally meets both of their gazes, she smiles awkwardly as Troy rubs his neck and Gabriella gives a small wave.

She stays in the diner until Troy and Gabriella leave, unable to eat or drink anything, and when they do leave and she finally gets to breathe a little easier, she immediately finds Todd by her side.

"What's up with you and the Boltons?"

Sharpay lets out a high-pitched, uneasy laugh as she raises her eyebrows. "Nothing. Why?"

Todd just gives her a pointed look.

"They were staring at you the entire time they were here," he says, before gesturing to the coffee and plate of food before her. "And you haven't eaten anything."

Sharpay rolls her eyes, sighing as she takes the cup of coffee and takes an exaggerated sip. "It's nothing. It's just that they were looking after Iris that night I was drinking here and they saw me drunk. It was awkward."

She also confessed a big secret to them, which is much more than awkward. It's dangerous.

Todd gives her sympathetic smile, before chuckling when Sabrina attempts to grab onto his apron. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

It's now Sharpay's turn to give Todd a look. "You saw me that night, Todd. I was a mess. It's embarrassing."

Todd sighs as he shoves his hands in pockets. "The Boltons are nice people. I'm sure they won't judge you too hard."

Sharpay nearly scoffs. If there's anything she knows about Gabriella Montez, it's how judgmental she is.

"Why do you care so much?" she shoots back at Todd, a little more rudely than intended judging by the frown on his face. She gives him an apologetic smile as Todd shrugs.

"I saw how well you and Troy got along. It's never a bad idea to make a few friends."

And with that, he leaves her alone with her thoughts.

Sharpay sighs as his words sink in. He's right, but she still can't brush aside her mixed feelings about the Boltons. She feels drawn to them and she desperately wishes for a meaningful relationship with them, but her fears and their shared past still get in the way.

She wants to be their friend, but she can't. Not like this.

* * *

The next time she runs into one of the Boltons is at the grocery store. Again.

The irony almost makes her want to laugh when she turns to an aisle to avoid Debbie and her friends and finds Gabriella there.

However, this time, Gabriella doesn't seem to notice her, too focused on different brands of laundry detergent.

It should be a good thing that Gabriella doesn't acknowledge her presence, but for some reason, it doesn't sit well with her that Gabriella is ignoring her. It makes Sharpay want to talk to her.

She should really figure out what it is she wants exactly.

"Hi," she says before she can realize what she's doing and she immediately regrets it when Gabriella's head snaps up and her eyes grow wide.

"Oh, hi, Sh–Vanessa," Gabriella replies, before grinning down at Sabrina. "Hi, Iris."

Then, she turns back to the laundry detergent and Sharpay's eyebrows furrow. This is exactly what she wants – to have Gabriella and Troy within reach, yet not too close –, but it's not what she's expected her first interaction with the Boltons since she left their house the morning after her confession to go.

She's expected a long, awkward conversation with an overly curious Gabriella prying for information, not this nothingness.

Apparently, Gabriella has noticed that Sharpay is staring at her, for she turns back at Sharpay with a friendly smile. "Don't worry, I won't get in your way."

Inwardly, Sharpay scoffs. If there's anything Gabriella Montez is good at, it's getting in her way in any possible setting. Including in the middle of this very grocery store.

However, Gabriella is doing the exact opposite of that now, which is very confusing.

"What?"

Gabriella simply shrugs. "I know you've been avoiding us."

As Sharpay grimaces and flushes with embarrassment, Gabriella just lets out a laugh and shakes her head. "It's okay. I get it. You obviously have been through something and you want to be alone. I know what it's like, so don't worry about me and Troy. We won't bother you."

Briefly, Sharpay wonders what Gabriella could have been through, before she narrows her eyes at her. "Are you trying to psychoanalyse me?"

Gabriella laughs again. "No, just observing."

Then, she grabs the laundry detergent and waves her goodbye as she wordlessly walks out of the aisle, Sharpay watching her as she goes.

This is exactly what she wants, she reminds herself – to have someone who understands, while being kept at an arm's length.

So, why does she feel so awful about Gabriella pulling away from her?

* * *

The one thing about California that Sharpay enjoys is the constant good weather. She doesn't think she has seen a single shower or thunderstorm since she arrived here.

That is, until now.

The rain starts on a random evening while she's watching some mind-numbing reality television, and the downpour is heavy. When she also hears the rumbling of thunder, she immediately bolts up from her spot on the couch.

She hasn't realized yet, but she now associates thunder with that awful night. She can almost smell the blood as visions of sinister, dark eyes and her husband's lifeless body flash before her eyes.

She starts breathing heavily as fear constricts her heart. She can't be alone right now.

Glancing at the clock, she grimaces. It's 10 pm. She can't go to Todd's. People will be drinking there, and she could risk running into that creepy Mark guy again. Besides, she can't sleep there.

There _is_ one place where she could sleep, however. There is one place where she has slept before.

She can't go there. There's a reason why she's been avoiding its inhabitants. She can't avoid them and impose on them by hogging their couch at the same time.

However, with every sound – the voices from the TV, the ticking of the clock, the thunder outside –, the fear grows. She can't be here. She has no choice.

So, within fifteen minutes, she's on the Boltons' doorstep, a sleepy on Sabrina on her arms, both of them soaked to the bone as she desperately waits for them to answer the door.

It's Gabriella who answers the door, her mouth falling open in shock.

"Vanessa."

Sharpay musters a weak smile at Gabriella's use of her undercover name, as she takes in Gabriella's nightgown. "Did I wake you up?"

Gabriella shakes her head, still looking shocked as a confused Troy, only wearing pyjama pants, appears behind her.

"What's wrong?"

That question sets her off. So much is wrong. And she's so scared right now that she can't stop herself from breaking down in sobs as Gabriella ushers her inside.

They set Sabrina in her carrier next to the couch as they sit down, Troy and Gabriella on either side of her as she stares at her lap.

"Did something happen?" Troy asks.

The concern in his voice makes her want to cry even harder, but she just shakes her head through hiccups. "No, not tonight."

Her answer probably raises many questions for Troy and Gabriella, but thankfully, they don't probe any further.

"Can I sleep here?" she asks through her sobs, weakly. "I know it's a lot to ask, but I can't be alone right now."

Gabriella slings her arm around Sharpay and soothingly rubs her shoulder. "Of course."

Troy stands up as she continues to stare at her lap. For the next few minutes, Troy bustles around her as he gets the couch ready for her, while Gabriella sits with her, her soft touch soothing her until the sobs cease.

When Troy is finished, Gabriella gives Sharpay's shoulder one last squeeze, before standing up and moving to her husband's side. "Will you be okay?"

Sharpay almost starts to sob again. The truthful answer is that she doesn't know. She doesn't know when she'll be safe again, when she can go back to her old life and feel like herself again, when the memories and wounds will fade.

But for now?

"Yes, I think so."

Both Troy and Gabriella smile at her sympathetically, before Troy says, "If you need us, we'll be upstairs."

Sharpay just nods, smiling at them weakly again. "Thanks. And I'm so sorry to bother you like this."

Gabriella shrugs as her kind smile grows. "You never bother us, Sharpay."

When the lights are off and she tries to fall asleep, she still flinches at every sound and the memories still flash when she closes her eyes, but she doesn't feel as alone and scared anymore.

* * *

As it turns out, Sabrina is also not a huge fan of thunderstorms. She doesn't sleep through the night well anyway, but this night has been worse than normal.

Between her own anxieties and Sabrina's constant screaming, Sharpay feels like a zombie by the time dawn breaks.

When Troy and Gabriella both appear downstairs, greeting her awkwardly, bags under both their eyes, she feels slight guilt wash over her.

She has kept them up as well.

"I'm making you those scrambled eggs," Gabriella says resolutely as she takes in Sharpay's probably dishevelled appearance.

Sharpay grunts in response, fidgeting in her place as Troy sits down on the chair across from the chair, yawning as he grabs his phone and starts playing around with it.

Somehow, this is even more embarrassing than being drunk around them. Even though she's told them things she shouldn't have while inebriated, she's shown them unprecedented vulnerability last night. She's shown them her true weakness and that is somehow even more frightening.

If there's anything she's learnt, it's that showing vulnerability only benefits your enemies. It's just another way of self-destruction, another way of losing the upper hand.

She once counted Troy and Gabriella as her enemies, as the competition she had to eliminate. Now, she doesn't know what they are to her, but she certainly doesn't feel comfortable with last night's display of emotions either way.

She doesn't understand their response, though. She doesn't understand how they welcome her with such open arms after everything they've been through.

If the roles were reversed, she'd laugh at their misery, but they are letting her sleep on their couch, comforting her, making her breakfast.

As Gabriella sets a cup of coffee and a plate of scrambled eggs in front of her, Sharpay shakes her head, before looking up at her questioningly.

"Why are you guys so nice to me?"

Both Troy and Gabriella's heads snaps up, eyebrows furrowing with confusion.

"What do you mean?" Gabriella asks as she sits down next to Sharpay. Sharpay resists the urge to scoot away from her, rolling her eyes.

"Come on," she responds, gesturing between the three of them. "We hate each other. Why would you ever help me?"

A beat passes and Sharpay wonders what their answer would be. She also wonders why she so desperately wishes that they're not going to say they're just doing this because they think it's the right thing to do.

Gabriella smiles kindly, her hand lifting and hovering over Sharpay's, but she refrains from touching her and pulls her hand back. "We never hated you, Sharpay."

Ignoring the thrill that shoots down her spine at hearing her real name, Sharpay's eyebrows furrow as her gaze shifts to Troy, who shrugs and nods with a small smile. She then feels herself flush a little.

"I did hate you."

Gabriella laughs. "That was kind of obvious."

Sharpay lets out a small laugh herself, but shaking her head as she stares at the food, afraid of looking either of them in the eye. "But why wouldn't you hate me?"

Todd's words from the other day echo in her head. They're nice people. And after what she's done to them, she doesn't deserve them to be this nice to her.

She's done so many bad things. She's wronged so many people, even including her own daughter by bringing her into such a dangerous situation. She doesn't deserve anyone to be nice to her.

She hears Gabriella sigh beside her. "I mean, have I been angry at you? Of course."

Gabriella pauses and Sharpay hesitantly looks up to see Troy and Gabriella share a sad smile. She feels the guilt wash over her again as she realizes how much she's truly hurt them. What she's done to them seems so insignificant compared to what she's been through herself, but hurt is still hurt.

"But…" Gabriella continues, "I don't think I've ever truly hated you or saw you as some rival or threat like you thought I was."

Sharpay nods slowly, before scoffing. "It all seems so insignificant now."

Gabriella sighs wistfully. "Yeah, it's nothing compared to the real world."

Sharpay raises her eyebrows. The real world seems pretty great for Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez from what she's seen. However, before she can dwell any further, Troy, who has been silent through the exchange, suddenly pipes up.

"Well, my teenage angst was not insignificant. It shaped me into who I am," he says dramatically in an attempt to lighten the mood, putting his hand over his chest. Sharpay rolls her eyes in response while all three of them burst into laughter.

As the laughter dies down, Sharpay is suddenly overcome with affection for both of them. It doesn't matter why they're doing this – although she knows deep down that they really are doing it because they care for her for some reason –, but they're making her feel truly comfortable for the first time in a long time.

"You know, I don't think I hate you anymore," she speaks up in a small voice, blushing as she fidgets in her place.

It's not an apology for what she's done – she doesn't think she's at a point where she can put her pride aside to do that –, but it's a start. It's a new beginning, the opening of a door to new possibilities.

It's allowing herself to feel love and happiness again, even if it's in small bits and pieces and in the form of this unlikely friendship.

She purses her lips as Troy and Gabriella both smile at her gently and then share a loving smile with another. Without thinking, she adds, "I am envious of how perfect your life is, though."

She immediately gulps as the words spill from her mouth. This could be the opening to another conversation, one about why her life is miserable and why she's in this town, and that's not one she's ready to have.

She can only take one step at a time.

Thankfully, neither of them seem to want to start that conversation either. Troy merely rubs his neck awkwardly as he responds, "Nobody's life is perfect."

"Sure," Sharpay scoffs, but her curiosity arises as she sees Troy sneaks a wary glance at Gabriella, who frowns as she tucks a dark curl behind her ear.

Before she can inquire, though, Gabriella gestures to the plate of food that is still untouched. "Come on, eat."

"Yeah, yeah," Sharpay says with a sigh as she grabs the plate and takes a bite. As she chews, she allows a small smile.

She's spent so much time running from them, and a huge part of her still wants to, but sitting in their living room with a plate of scrambled eggs on her lap right now, she decides she likes being near them.

"Maybe we could be friends one day."

She watches their reactions to her words carefully, and a surge relief runs through her as both of them grin at her.

Gabriella's hand moves to her arm again and this time, both of them allow their skin to come into contact as Gabriella softly squeezes Sharpay's wrist.

"That would be great."

* * *

 **A/N: That last scene was probably the scene I was most excited to write when I started this fic, as the core of the story is the reconciliation between the three of them, so I hope you all like it as much as I liked writing it!**

 **As always, please leave a review, it makes my day!**


	10. Chapter 9

_It's truly astounding how good Sharpay is at ruining her life._

 _Sometimes, she thinks back to that flight to New York, when she was full of excitement and dreams, and how foolish she was to allow herself to be led astray by Don._

 _Silence encompasses them as they eat dinner, Sharpay being afraid to glance at him across the table. She can only think of the secret she carries inside her, the life that is growing beneath her skin._

 _She doesn't even know whose life it is that she is carrying. She doesn't know whose life she_ wants _to be carrying. She has promised her life to Don and that has to count for something, so she should want it to be his. The only problem is that she loathes him, and her deepest longing is to leave him and spend a happy life with someone she truly loves._

 _However, she knows that will remain a fantasy. There are only two possible outcomes from this situation – being stuck with Don and being kicked to the curb._

 _There's a third option, one that involves nobody ever having to find out, but that's also something she's not sure about._

 _"Why aren't your drinking your wine?"_

 _Snapping out of her thoughts, she shrugs casually while she takes the glass in her hand and examines it carefully as she swirls the liquid._

 _She could really use a drink right now. However, as long as this baby is still inside her, she's going to refrain._

 _"I don't feel like wine."_

 _Don's eyes narrow at her as he watches her suspiciously. "But you're always drinking wine."_

 _To drink away the pain that he's causing her._

 _Sharpay glares at him as she crosses her arms across her chest. She knows she shouldn't provoke him, that it only ends in misery for her, but it feels like a better option to tell him outright that she's pregnant with a baby that might not even be his._

 _"Can't I just want an alcohol-free night?" she inquires and Don raises one eyebrows as he takes a sip from his own wine and stares at her thoughtfully._

 _"It's so good, though," he insists as he downs the entire glass, Sharpay wincing in the progress. When she gets drunk, she numbs the pain, but when he does it, it only worsens her pain._

 _"Why are you so insistent on getting me drunk?" she asks, genuinely curious, and she flinches as she sees something flash through his eyes, before he smirks at her and grabs her hand from across the table to kiss it._

 _She ignores the shudder – not of the pleasurable kind – that runs through her._

 _"I thought we could have a little… fun tonight," he says with a suggestive wink and Sharpay resists the urge to gag at the thought. The passion and chemistry that they once shared is long gone._

 _She definitely does need a drink before she sleeps with him._

 _With a sigh, she looks at the glass in her hand again and shakes her head. "We don't have to drink."_

 _"Why are you being so difficult?!"_

 _Her breath hitches a little at the forceful tone he uses. That tone is never a good thing. It's a foreboding for much worse things to come._

 _Maybe she should just drink it. One glass won't hurt, right? And she only found out this morning, so she could very well pretend that she's still unaware._

 _However, she_ is _aware. And she's also aware that Don's suspicions will only grow over time and his patience with her will only deteriorate, leading to more outbursts._

 _She wants to keep this to herself a little longer, to make a decision as to what to do, but she's aware that the longer she keeps this secret, the worse the eventual fallout will be._

 _It might be better just to tell him._

 _"I can't," she states as she puts down the glass. She looks down at her plate, afraid to meet Don's gaze as she utters the words she wishes she'd never have to say to him. "I'm pregnant."_

 _She expects him to start yelling, she expects him to start throwing things, she expects him to hurt her. However, none of that happens. Instead, he just breathes out one word. "Oh."_

 _Sharpay slowly looks up at him, and finds him just staring at her thoughtfully, biting his lip. They're silent for a while, neither knowing what to say next, how to go from here._

 _"Is it mine?" Don finally breaks the silence, his voice treacherously low as his eyes darken. Sharpay lets out a heavy breath in response as she grimaces at him._

 _"Of course it is," she retorts in an indignant hiss. "Why wouldn't it be?"_

 _Don just raises his eyebrows at her as she continues to glare at him in an attempt not to cower under his scrutiny and suspicion._

 _He knows. Of course he does. He's a smart man. He has figured out the clues long ago._

 _However, she won't admit to it. She's afraid of what will happen if she does. She fears for her lover's safety, and for her own. And most of all, she fears for her unborn child._

 _With a drop of her stomach, she realizes that this is how this will end, no matter what happens, no matter which one of them is the actual father._

 _She will be miserable and she will have to face Don's wrath, no matter if she stays or if she goes. She will always be tied to him, always under his control._

 _Suddenly, Don's face grows into a wicked grin, most likely realizing the same thing that Sharpay just did, and stands up, grabbing Sharpay's glass. "I will get you some water."_

 _Sharpay musters a grateful smile as Don winks at her mischievously. "You know, now we definitely need to celebrate."_

 _Sharpay feels a little nauseous, but hides it by putting on a seductive smirk as she twirls a strand of blonde hair around her finger. "Definitely."_

 _She wishes that she weren't using this smirk on him, she wishes that she were celebrating with someone else, she wishes that this pregnancy announcement were actually a thing to be celebrated in the first place._

 _Suddenly, a hand lands on her wrist, squeezing it a little too tightly. Sharpay winces a little in pain as Don stands next to her and smirks down at her. "It's just gonna be me, you and our child from now on."_

 _With another tight squeeze, he lets go of her and makes his way to the kitchen as she lets out a heavy sigh._

 _She's not blind to what he's insinuating. He wants her to put an end to her affair. He wants her to be completely his again._

 _Unfortunately for him, she doesn't think she ever can be truly his. He will always control her life, but he won't be able to control her heart._

 _She will stay, but only out of necessity, only out of fear of what would happen if she left._

 _But she won't have a happy ending with him. She will never have a happy ending._

* * *

Burying the hatchet with Troy and Gabriella has been a surprisingly good idea. The fear is still bubbling beneath her exterior, but she feels a little calmer knowing that there's no bad blood between them and that they're safe and dependable.

It's also nice to spend time with people who know her, whom she does need to hide her true identity and personality from.

As such, she doesn't feel an urge to run and hide when she runs into Gabriella on an afternoon stroll in the park.

Instead, she grins and waves as Gabriella stops in her tracks and releases the earbuds from her ears, panting from the jog she's been on.

"Hi, Vanessa," she says between pants as she smiles down at Sabrina in the stroller. "Taking this little one out for a walk?"

Sharpay shrugs as she gestures around. "It's nice out, so why not, right?"

It's a huge improvement, she thinks, as she breathes in the warm air that surrounds her. A few months ago, she was too afraid to even go to the store, and now she's walking around the park just because she can, and she's making small talk with Gabriella Montez out of her own volition.

"Also, I have nothing else to do," Sharpay continues with a sigh and Gabriella frowns in response.

"No luck on the job hunt?"

Sharpay feels herself flush a little in embarrassment. "Well, I haven't particularly been looking."

She's not used to working. She's always been spoiled materialistically, whether it was by her father or by Don, and while she's grown used to performing household chores, an actual job is something she's not prepared for.

"I mean, I have a baby to look after," she quickly adds as an excuse as she gestures to Sabrina. Gabriella giggles and shakes her head in amusement in response as she crouches in front of the stroller and lets the infant wrap her tiny hand around her finger.

"Are you keeping your mom from work?" she coos and Sharpay purses her lips in embarrassment while Sabrina just lets out an excited cry.

Seeing Gabriella glance up at her mischievously, Sharpay rolls her eyes, but before she can say anything, she suddenly hears a dog's loud bark.

Both of them look up and share a displeased look as they realize whom the dog belongs to.

Debbie.

"Oh, hi girls," Debbie immediately greets them and Sharpay and Gabriella both shoot her a fake smile.

It amuses Sharpay to no end that they used to use those fake smiles on each other.

"So, what are you doing here on a Thursday afternoon?" Debbie asks as she sets her hand on her hip.

Sharpay rolls her eyes at Debbie's patronizing tone, while Gabriella just shrugs. "It's my day off and Vanessa was just taking Iris out."

Debbie nods in understanding, before turning to Sharpay. "So, any luck finding a job yet?"

Sharpay wants to groan in response. Why is everyone so obsessed with her job prospects today?

Instead, she just smiles and shrugs casually. "It's not as easy as it seems."

Debbie hums thoughtfully in response as she looks down at Sabrina. When she looks Sharpay in the eye again, she looks a little sheepish. "I don't mean to be intrusive, but how do you make ends meet?"

Sharpay's eyes narrow. Debbie definitely does mean to be intrusive. Crossing her arms over her chest, Sharpay responds curtly, "I have savings."

Debbie raises her eyebrows. "Wow, you must have a lot of money."

From the corner of her eye, Sharpay sees Gabriella give her a cautious glance, before springing up from her crouching position and rubbing her hands on her pants as she smiles at Debbie politely. "So, Debbie, what's up with you?"

Debbie's head snaps to Gabriella as she returns the smile. "Just the usual. Actually, I went to bring your husband some props for his play the other day and I have to say the rehearsals looks fantastic. He's doing a great job!"

Gabriella smiles genuinely at this, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Yeah, he's pretty great, isn't he?"

Sharpay feels envy overcome her at the happiness on Gabriella's features. As much as she's decided that hating the Boltons is futile, she still feels jealous of how happy they are together.

She wishes she had that.

"He's so great with the students as well!" Debbie exclaims. "It's a shame you two don't have children yet, because he'd probably be a great father."

Now it's Gabriella's face that falters. She visibly gulps as she blinks a few times and casts her eyes downward.

"He definitely would be," she whispers melancholically, looking back up at Debbie and barely able to muster a smile.

Something about having children upsets Gabriella, Sharpay suddenly realizes. There's a reason why they don't have children, a reason why Gabriella blanked when she met Sabrina for the first time, a reason why she seemed reluctant to babysit, a reason for the wary glances she and Troy share whenever Sharpay alludes to their life being perfect.

Sharpay still doesn't know what that reason is exactly, but she does know that it's her turn to save Gabriella from Debbie now.

So, before Debbie can say any more damaging things, Sharpay quickly nudges Gabriella.

"Hey, didn't you want to show me that one book you thought I might like?" she speaks up and Gabriella looks confused for a fraction of a second, before nodding furiously.

"That's true. You want to come over now?" she plays along and Sharpay nods.

"Great idea."

Sharpay turns to Debbie and tries her hardest not to smirk at her smugly when Debbie's eyebrows furrow as she realizes they're obviously trying to blow off.

"I guess we'll be going," Sharpay says with an exaggerated sigh. "Nice talking to you."

Both women smile apologetically as they walk off, leaving a confused Debbie behind.

Once they're out of Debbie's earshot, Gabriella leans closer to Sharpay. With a grateful smile, she whispers, "Thanks."

Sharpay returns her grin and shrugs. "It's the least I could do."

It's the truth. Troy and Gabriella have already helped her so many times, even though she didn't deserve it, so it's about time she returned the favour and helped them out.

That's what friends are for, after all.

* * *

Troy is happy that he and Gabriella have buried the hatchet with Sharpay. He's happy that they are able to put their past behind them – for as much as that is possible, at least – and he's happy that he doesn't have to walk on eggshells around her anymore.

However, it is still very surprising for him to come home and find Gabriella and Sharpay bundled up on separate sides of the couch, Gabriella holding a cup of tea while a sleeping Sabrina is snuggled against Sharpay's chest.

"Oh, you're home."

Gabriella blinks a few times after acknowledging his presence, before averting her gaze from his as her face falls into a deep frown.

For a split second, he wonders if he did something wrong, if he forgot an anniversary, or if Sharpay had done something to upset her.

However, judging from the comfortable position both of them are in and the concerned look Sharpay shoots her, he knows the last option is unlikely.

He walks over to Gabriella and pulls her face up so she looks him in the eyes and plants a firm kiss on her mouth.

Ignoring Sharpay's disgusted face as he pulls away, he smiles at his wife and nuzzles his nose against hers. "Hi."

She musters a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes, before jumping off of the couch. "Do you want a cup of tea?"

Troy shrugs, squinting at her as he tries to gauge what has upset her. "Sure."

"I actually think I'm going to go," Sharpay says before Gabriella can make a beeline for the kitchen.

"Oh, I can see you out," Troy says, hoping he doesn't sound too eager.

It's not at all that he doesn't want Sharpay here, but he wants to know what's wrong with Gabriella and he doubts he can have a serious conversation with her as long as Sharpay and Sabrina are present.

Sharpay nods at him, before turning to Gabriella and smiling at her. "Thanks for the tea."

Gabriella musters a barely visible smile in return. In a small voice, she says, "Thanks for the company."

If Troy weren't so confused, he would probably laugh at the irony of Gabriella sounding so grateful to be spending time with Sharpay Evans.

As Gabriella scurries off to the kitchen, Sharpay places Sabrina in the stroller and Troy leads them to the corridor.

As soon as she's sure Gabriella can't hear them, Sharpay turns to Troy and glares at him. Her glare is not angry or malevolent, though. Instead, it's curious.

"Why does Gabriella get upset when someone tells her you'd be a good father? Because Debbie did when we ran into her earlier and she has been acting weird ever since."

Well, that explains Gabriella's odd behaviour.

Sharpay raises her eyebrows at him, probably sensing that he knows the answer to her question, but Troy merely shrugs and sighs. "I don't know. I guess Debbie just has a way of getting under your skin."

It's not the reason why Gabriella is upset, but it is true. Sharpay knows this, too, sighing in agreement, although he can see in her eyes that she knows there's more to the story.

"Well, thank her for the tea again."

Troy smiles and nods. "I will."

For a brief moment, he wonders if he should hug her, if their tentative friendship is at that point yet, but thankfully, Sharpay pulls open the door before he can consider acting on this thought and she disappears with a wave.

As he closes the door behind her, he sighs and lets his forehead fall against the hard material.

Damn it, Debbie.

* * *

"So, Sharpay told me what Debbie said to you about me."

Gabriella shuts her eyes, her lip trembling slightly as she feels the weight of the couch shift besides when Troy sits down.

When he puts his arm around her, warmth radiating from his palm on her shoulder, she stays frozen in her tense position.

"She's right, you know," she mumbles, not daring to meet his gaze. "You would make a great dad."

Troy sighs besides her as he pulls her closer to him and lets his chin fall on the soft hair on top of her scalp. "And you would make the best mother."

Silence encompasses them, unspoken words and pain hanging between them.

Troy lifts his head from hers, dropping a tiny kiss to the crown of her head. Gabriella continues to stare ahead, but his eyes on her as he says, softly, "There are still options. Look what Kelsi did for Ryan and Ben. I'm sure she wouldn't be opposed to being a surrogate for us as well."

Gabriella can't help but smile a little at thought, but her face quickly falls into a frown again.

It would be an option, surely, but it's not how she wants to become a mother. It's not how she's always imagined it to happen.

"I always liked the idea of bringing a child, _our_ child, into the world, you know," she says, before pausing and shaking her head, "I mean, except the being pregnant part, though. That's a nightmare."

Both of them chuckle a little, before Gabriella finally looks up at Troy, lifting her hand to run it softly through his hair as she stares into his warm, blue eyes. "I just always wanted a little me and you. With my hair, your eyes, my nose, your mouth…"

She feels a heaviness settle in her chest as she sees the sorrow in Troy's eyes, knowing how much he wants that as well. Smiling sadly, she feels the tears spring to her eyes. "I'm scared that one day, you'll realize that you _can_ have that, just not with me."

A tear rolls down her cheeks as she sees his eyes darken with pain as he shakes his head furiously, grabbing the hand that's now stilled on his cheek and lowers it to his lip to kiss it. "I don't want it to be with somebody else."

Gabriella sniffs as the tears start flowing freely, allowing Troy to pull her closer into his boy. Holding onto his shirt tightly, she sobs into his chest. "You deserve better than this, Troy."

Troy comfortingly rubs her back as he shakes his head profusely. "No, you're the one who deserves better."

Abruptly lifting her head off his chest, she stares at him incredulously, her body still raking with tiny sobs as he wipes a tear from her face.

"How can you say that?"

Troy just shrugs in response as he smiles at her tenderly. "Do you have any idea how beautiful and brilliant and amazing you are, Brie? How lucky a guy like me is to even have you give me the time of day, much less be my wife? I used to be scared that _you_ would realize you could do better."

Still disbelieving, Gabriella opens her mouth to reply, but Troy shakes his head. "You're not any less amazing or worthy, because you can't have children, Brie."

She lets out a heart-wrenching sob in response, before he cups her face and pecks her nose, making Gabriella smile a little through her tears.

"I made a vow to love and cherish _you_ through sickness and health," he continues, staring into her eyes intently, desperate to convince her of his devotion to her. "I love _you_. That's never going to change, whether we have children or not."

Gabriella sniffs again and shuts her eyes with a small whimper. "You want children so badly, though."

"Only with you," Troy whispers, dropping a kiss to her head. She sighs in response and grabs onto his shirt a little tighter.

"I hate that it's my fault," she murmurs, barely audibly, and immediately, Troy pulls up her face for their eyes to meet again.

"It's not your fault," he states sternly. "You had no control over this. You shouldn't beat yourself up over it."

Letting go of her cheeks, he slowly moves his body down so his head is laying against her stomach. Intertwining their hands, he smiles up at her gently. "This doesn't define us, Gabriella."

She feels the tears start to flow heavier as she contemplates his words. Sometimes, it's worse that this is something she has no control over. It makes her feel even more helpless.

However, as he looks up at her with those kind, warm, loving eyes, she realizes that he's right that this doesn't define them. They share a bond so profound, memories so beautiful, a love so sweet, and that's more powerful than the emotional scars she bears.

Lovingly, she leans down to kiss his lips. "What did I do to deserve you?"

Troy shrugs and smiles as he wipes away a tear. "You're you."

She laughs through her tears as she rests her head against his, closing her eyes.

The pain still lingers beneath the surface, just as much as her insecurities, but right now, it's masked by endless adoration for her husband.

Life is hard and painful, but as long as she has him by her side, it's just a little more bearable.

* * *

 **A/N: That's one mystery solved! Even though it was kind of obvious, lol. I know this is a very touchy subject and I hope I did it justice at least a little. My main goal was to show how much Troy and Gabriella love each other despite their troubles, though, and I think I did get that across.**

 **Please leave reviews, I love them!**


	11. Chapter 10

"Good morning, Todd."

With a cheery smile, Sharpay hops on the chair at the bar with Sabrina in her arms. Sabrina giggles excitedly as she reaches out her hand to Todd.

"You're in a good mood," Todd remarks with a sly smile as he sets an empty cup in front of her and grabs the coffee pot.

Sharpay shrugs in response as her smile widens. "I guess I just woke up on the right side of the bed today."

"Well, happiness is a good look on you," Todd remarks as he fills the cup.

Happiness.

That's much too big a word. She thinks it's more like something akin to slight relaxation. She's spent so much time wallowing in self-pity and paranoia and loneliness that she has forgotten what comfort feels like.

Of course, that fear of what could be is still bubbling just below the surface, but her newfound friendship with Troy and Gabriella has quelled some of the distress inside her and lifted some of the weight off her shoulders.

This place will never be truly home, nor does she want it to be, but now that she doesn't feel constantly constricted and held down by her past and her lies, she's slowly coming to terms with the reality that she will be here for the time being.

However, true happiness is not something she'll ever achieve here, and she isn't sure if she'll ever get the chance to experience it somewhere else either.

She takes a sip of her coffee, swatting Sabrina's hand away as she tries to reach for the cup, and laughs softly, a little uneasily. "Yeah, it feels good."

"I'm glad I'm getting to see it," Todd remarks casually and Sharpay raises her eyebrows as she sets down her cup.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asks accusingly, watching as Todd looks down at the ground, a little flustered.

"Well, I actually thought you wouldn't be here for long," he answers, a little embarrassed, and gestures around. "I mean, you've always kind of seemed like you hated this place. I figured you'd leave and find a better place to start over."

Sharpay purses her lips and sighs. How she wishes she could leave this place out of her own volition, start over on her own terms.

"I don't like to give up," she states curtly as she shoots Todd a glare, who throws up his hands in defence.

"Hey, I wouldn't have blamed you if you left. You know how much I wanted to leave this place when I was younger," he says and Sharpay can't maintain her glare as she remembers her first meeting with him and her first week in this town.

She has surely come a long way since then.

"I'm glad you stayed, though," Todd says sincerely, before a mischievous twinkle appears in his eyes. "You're quite the character."

Sharpay lets out a scoff, her widening eyes betraying a hint of amusement, and Todd laughs as he elaborates, "I mean, between Debbie Fisher's annoyance that she's can't figure you out and your quarrel with the Boltons, it's been a fun few months."

Sharpay rolls her eyes. "We never had a quarrel. We just had an… awkward phase. And I'll have you know that we're kind of friends now."

"That's good to know," Todd says, smiling genuinely, before his eyes shift to something behind her. "Also, I'm pretty sure our Mark over there has a crush on you."

Sharpay turns around and feels a grimace form on her face as she notices Mark sitting in one of the booths, staring at her.

She hadn't even noticed him when she came in, but now, she feels queasy. Something about him doesn't sit well with her, especially after their encounter at the park, but she can't quite put her finger on what it is.

Unfortunately, their eye contact has seemed to be encouraging for Mark, and Sharpay groans, turning back to Todd as he comes over and sits down next to her.

"Hi, Vanessa," he greets, before smiling down at Sabrina. "Hi, Iris."

"Hi," Sharpay responds coolly, not looking at him, and shrugging as Todd raises his eyebrows at her.

Mark obviously senses her disdain for him, for he sounds embarrassed as he asks her, "So, how have you been?"

"Good," she responds, taking another sip of her coffee, and then cooing at Sabrina as she continues to ignore Mark.

She plays with Sabrina for a few minutes, acutely aware that Mark is still sitting next to her, and that he's way too close, before he speaks up again.

"So, are you on your way to work, too?"

Her smile immediately falls of her face and she sighs in irritation. "No, I'm still looking for a job."

She knows she could have just responded yes, as to avoid Mark's inevitable questions about why she doesn't have a job, but she knows he's going to keep bothering her anyway.

Really, he could probably give Debbie a run for her money.

However, before he can inquire further, Todd saves the day, and probably her life as well, perking up at her words. "You're still looking for a job?"

Sharpay nods despondently and a smile grows on Todd's face as his eyes light up, an idea seemingly popping into his head. "You know, I have an opening for a waitress on the night shift if you're interested."

Sharpay's eyes widen as his words sink in.

She would make a terrible waitress. She has no work experience and up until recently, she would have thought that this would be way beneath her.

Well, she still does, but coming to terms with being here also means coming terms with not having many options. And this is an option. It would eliminate some of the suspicions she knows some of the neighbours have about her – thanks to Debbie – and it would give her a chance to not be out of her lonely house and work at a familiar, friendly environment.

However, there is still one big problem and it's currently wiggling in her arms.

With a sigh, she drops a kiss to Sabrina's head. "I'd love to, but I don't know what to do about her."

"I could watch her for you," Mark suddenly pipes up and Sharpay shoots him a horrified, incredulous look as she tightens her grip on Sabrina protectively.

This guy can't be for real.

"No offense, but I barely know you. I'm not going to let you babysit my infant daughter," she responds with a slight glare.

However, her face quickly morphing into a smile, she realizes that Mark's babysitting idea could be a good idea, just not with him as the babysitter.

Excitedly, she turns to Todd. "I think I may have a solution."

Before Todd can ask her to elaborate, she hops off the stool and fishes her phone out of her bag, taking Sabrina and the stroller to the bathroom. Sternly telling Sabrina off as the infant tries to reach for her phone, she dials a number, smiling widely as a warm voice greets her on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Troy, it's me… Vanessa. I have a huge favour to ask you."

* * *

"I feel like this might be a bad idea."

Troy pulls away his attention from the small infant in his arms to frown at Gabriella.

"Oh, come on. You love Sabrina," he says, pulling Sabrina up so their faces are next to each other as he pouts at Gabriella.

Gabriella rolls her eyes playfully as she smiles and pinches Sabrina's cheek. "Of course I do. But we shouldn't take this lightly."

"Well, I think it'll be good practice."

Both of them freeze, staring at each other wide-eyed as his words sink in.

"Troy," Gabriella says his name warningly, a little solemnly, and Troy shuts his eyes painfully in response and sighs.

"I know."

He lifts Sabrina so she's just on one arm, as he opens his free arm for Gabriella to step into his embrace. With a sigh, she does, snuggling into his side as her eyes meet Sabrina's curious stare.

As Sabrina suddenly reaches out and grabs onto her necklace, she can't help but burst into laughter as she lifts Sabrina from Troy's arms into her own.

"She really does love you," Troy remarks, a little bit in awe like he always is when she interacts with small children.

Gabriella raises her eyebrows at him, feeling a little bashful under his loving gaze, before pointing to the T pendant that Sabrina is examining curiously.

"I think she loves you," she teases him and Troy rolls his eyes and chuckles as he presses a kiss to the crown of her head, before sticking out his tongue out at Sabrina.

"Or she could just be a needy child," he jokes. "She is the daughter of Sharpay Evans, after all."

Both of them chuckle as Gabriella rocks Sabrina in her arms.

They remain like that for a while, lost in the fantasy that they really are doing this to practice, that they really will be parents one day, cooing at Sabrina as they hold each other, like a family.

However, the spell is broken quickly when a revolting smell suddenly enters their nostrils and Sabrina starts screaming.

Scrunching up his nose, Troy remarks, "Yes, that's definitely a child of Sharpay Evans."

Gabriella laughs, moving out of his embrace to go fetch a diaper, but he stops her and shakes his head as he lifts the crying infant from her arms.

"You fed her earlier. I'll do it," he says as he kisses her cheek, "Where was Sharpay's bathroom again? She went through her tour way too fast."

"Second to the right on the first floor."

He nods, before wincing as Sabrina's wails somehow become even louder. Shifting his gaze to the child, he shakes his head disapprovingly. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Making soft shushing noises at Sabrina, he starts making his way out of the room, throwing Gabriella a last smile before disappearing up the stairs.

As she hears his footsteps above her, Gabriella sighs.

He doesn't need practice. He's a natural. They both are. It's so unfair that they can't have this for themselves. At least not in the way she imagined.

It's a noble thing to do, helping Sharpay with Sabrina, and she does truly love the tiny girl that's finally stopped screaming upstairs, but she selfishly wishes they had said no.

It hurts, to see Troy with a child, to have tangible proof of how great they would both be as parents. She doesn't know how much more of that hurt she can take.

In the back of her mind, a voice reminds her of the options that Troy posited the other day, but she pushes that voice away as soon as it comes to her.

She would love her child no matter how they came to her, whether it's through surrogacy or adoption or whatever other option is out there, but she's not ready to let go of the fantasy of carrying her own child.

She's not ready to come to terms with her pain yet.

* * *

"You know, for someone who's never worked as a waiter, you're actually quite good."

Sharpay smirks as she puts down the empty waiter plate in front of Todd and checks her nails. "I know. I'm good at everything."

Todd raises his eyebrows. "I like this new, confident you."

This makes Sharpay smile. With all the nightmares she's experienced in the past few years, she has lost her touch a little. It's nice to try something new and to find success, even if it's at being a waitress.

However, in the past few years, she's also learned that things never really go her way.

Swirling around with the plate after Todd has filled it again, she almost bumps into a patron, nearly spilling the glasses of coke on her plate over him.

"Watch where you're going," she snaps as she pushes past the man to make her way to the table where she's supposed to bring the order to.

The man follows her, wringing his hands uneasily as he says, "Uh… Miss, I asked you for a coffee refill about ten minutes ago. I just wondered when you were coming."

Setting the glasses down in front of the young girls in the booth, so harshly that the liquid nearly spills over the top of the glasses, she turns back to the man with a vicious glare and gestures around at the space, which is completely full except one table.

"I'm a little busy here," she hisses. "And if you do want a refill, I suggest you don't make the waitress nearly spill four glasses of coke."

With that, she marches over to the bar again, where Todd is watching her with crossed arms and pursed lips.

"You really need how to treat our customers more nicely, though."

As she sets down the plate on the bar, she shrugs with embarrassment, pouting a little. "I'll try to do better."

It's not her fault that the patrons here are so annoying, but she needs to keep this job. She knows Todd wouldn't fire her easily, though, but she knows she can't get away with anything like she did when she was younger.

When the door opens and Debbie Fisher walks in, she groans. She's definitely not going to keep this job.

Rolling her eyes as Todd shoots her a warning look, she puts on her fakest smile and walks over to the last empty table where Debbie and her friend sit down.

"Good evening, may I get you something?" she says as sweetly as she can muster, watching as Debbie's eyes widen and the older woman gives her a look over.

"You work here?"

Sharpay nods, the tense, forced smile threatening to break her face. "Yeah, I just started a few days ago."

Debbie narrows her eyes at her curiously and nods slowly, before smiling phonily herself. "Well, I guess we have to do something to pay the rent, right?"

Sharpay's eyebrows furrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Debbie shrugs. "Well, going from communications to a waitress job seems like a bit of a… downgrade."

Debbie and her friend laugh as Sharpay feels rage boil inside of her. These women have no reason to make fun of the waiting staff like that.

She feels guilty. She used to be like that, rude and condescending. Being subjected to that behaviour now makes her realize how awful it actually is.

When she gets out of this place, she's going to be better.

"Two iced teas, please, dear," Debbie's friend says and Sharpay angrily jots their order down on her pad before turning around and taking a deep breath.

She needs to be the better person. She needs to keep this job.

However, she can't resist turning back to Debbie with a scowl, lowly hissing, "At least my life doesn't revolve around a second rate production of _Hello, Dolly!_ that no one wants to see."

She smirks as she walks away, hearing Debbie's indignant huff behind her. As she sees Todd's disappointed frown, she shrugs and points back to Debbie.

"She was the rude one."

* * *

If you'd told Troy Bolton that he would become so attached to Sharpay Evans' daughter one day, he would have laughed in your face.

However, every time he has to say goodbye to Sabrina, he immediately misses her and finds himself desperately looking forward to the next time he'll see her.

"Sabrina was a handful tonight," Gabriella comments as she puts her feet in his lap and Troy laughs and nods as he grabs her foot and starts massaging it, Gabriella moaning in response.

Sabrina has been extremely loud and fuzzy tonight, but it's worth it, he figures. That is also a part of having a baby.

Even if the baby isn't his.

"Are you okay?"

With a sigh, he looks up at Gabriella as he notices he's subconsciously stopped massaging it. He smiles at her.

"You know how I mentioned other options the other night?" he starts hesitantly, watching as Gabriella's face falls into a deep, sad frown. "I… I think we should consider it seriously."

He lets go off her foot as his hand comes up to rub his neck and he ducks his head, unsure of her reaction and scared to look her in the eye.

He feels a weight shift beside him and some rustling, before he feels her delicate hands on his face. She pulls him to look her in the eye, their faces inches apart.

"I've thought about it, too," she admits, her voice a little weak, and for a split second, hope rises within, but then he notices the remorse in her eyes.

"I don't know," she says, stroking her thumb along his cheek. "But one day, maybe."

She kisses his cheek and he nods, a dark feeling of sorrow overcoming him.

It hurts, but he understands. She's still too overwhelmed by the pain of their crushed dreams to be ready to take such a step.

But being with Sabrina has made him realize that he is ready. And he'll wait for her to be ready, too.

He'll wait for one day, maybe.

* * *

Being a waitress actually isn't all that bad.

Sharpay is still not entirely accustomed or willing to be nice to patrons, though, especially because many of them are rude and annoying, and she knows it's starting to annoy Todd, who previously found her bluntness amusing. However, besides that, she strangely enjoys the job.

It takes her mind off what is happening. It gives her space from Sabrina when she needs it, it surrounds her with people and distractions from her misery, it almost makes her forget the grave danger she's in.

It almost makes her forget that there are people who want her dead, and that she hasn't had an update from Anderson about these people's whereabouts in a long while.

She almost feels safe. She'll never be content, but the paranoia is slowly starting to ebb away and it feels so nice to breathe a little easier.

It also feels nice to be able to appreciate the good things in her life again.

Well, the one good thing. Sabrina.

Sitting here on her couch, with a sleeping Sabrina on her chest, watching television on her night off, she experiences a pleasant emotion, something akin to happiness, yet not exactly that.

Pressing a soft kiss to the crown of Sabrina's head and gazing at her daughter, Sharpay can't help but smile.

She's still so innocent, so untouched by all of this. Although Sharpay still feels guilty about putting her situation, it's still a relief that the situation hasn't scarred her daughter.

Maybe, hopefully, she won't remember this when she's older. She won't remember Don, she won't remember this town, she won't remember the trauma her mother has been through.

Hopefully, she won't have to grow up here.

Everything Sharpay has done is for Sabrina, to ensure her precious daughter will remain unscathed, to protect the one thing that she has left to care for.

She deserves better than to grow up in this town, under these circumstances. However, deep down, Sharpay knows it could be worse.

She just hopes it will be over soon.

Her phone rings and with a groan, Sharpay scrambles to pick it up, expecting it to be Todd.

It's not. The number is unknown.

Feeling her breath hitch, she feels the fear rise inside her. Could it be?

No, that's ridiculous. With the exception of Troy and Gabriella, nobody knows who she really is, and not a single soul in this town knows why she's here.

She's safe here.

Still, she has a bad feeling about it, and biting her lip, she shakes her head furiously, declining the call and pulling Sabrina a little tighter to her as her heart beats loudly and fast in her ribcage.

The phone rings again. She feels her breathing grow heavier, but she stares at the TV, even though she can't concentrate on anything besides the loud ringtone.

The phone stops ringing again and she breathes a sigh of relief. However, her heart is still hammering she feels herself tremble with fear.

Part of her wants to go to the Boltons, to seek refuge with them again, but that would probably end in her confessing everything and she can't do that. It's far too dangerous.

Especially because it's probably nothing.

After a few minutes, the phone starts ringing a third time and Sharpay suddenly realizes something.

Anderson's number is blocked. He has never called her on her cell phone before, but whoever is trying to reach her, really wants to get a hold of her.

Maybe it's him. Maybe he's calling her to tell her the nightmare is finally over.

Her stomach flutters with hope.

So, although she still feels slightly hesistant, she accepts the call and holds the phone to her ear as she fearfully whispers into the phone, "Hello?"

It's not Anderson.

"We know where you are. We're coming for you."

* * *

 **A/N: I'M SORRY.**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: The flashback scene at the start of this chapter might be triggering, as there's a more explicit depiction of Don's abuse of Sharpay. If this is triggering for you, please skip it. Your health is more important than my story!**

* * *

 _"I don't get why you're so angry."_

 _Sharpay crosses her arms over her chest as she raises her eyebrows, tapping her foot as she anticipates an answer._

 _She's frustrated. Her relationship with Don had been so good in the beginning. He had been so romantic and charming and he had made her feel like she was on top of the world. She had fallen for him so deeply, so quickly._

 _But lately, all they've done is fight. About stupid little things like her spending money on a new dress without consulting him or forgetting to do the dishes, but also about bigger things. About his business being more important than her, about her own ambitions – she's not willing to let go of her dreams of Broadway yet –, about the fact that Don doesn't like her family and he doesn't want her to meet his._

 _He is completely wrong for her._

 _Seeing the fire light up in Don's eyes, she glowers at him. That fire used to excite her, but now, it just frustrates her and truthfully, it makes her feel slightly uneasy._

 _"Why I'm angry?" he hisses, his voice dangerously low. "You went behind my back."_

 _Sharpay's glare is unrelenting as she refuses to show him any vulnerability._

 _He should be happy for her. She has a callback for Broadway. She's so close to that spotlight she's wanted for her entire life. She can practically feel it._

 _This should be a celebratory occasion, not the cause of a fight._

 _"I knew what you would say if I told you," Sharpay states coolly, "It's not like you're good at hiding that you think my ambitions are stupid."_

 _"I don't think that," he snaps, stepping forward into her personal space as he grabs her arms. "I just think that it's not as easy as you think. I don't want you get to hurt."_

 _Sharpay scoffs as she attempts to keep a straight face. He's holding her way too tightly and his nails are digging into her forearm painfully._

 _"Right now, you're the only one hurting me," she says as she tries to pull her arms out of her grip._

 _Don's eyes lighten a little bit, an apology swimming in his dark depths, and he grimaces as he lets go of her, turning swiftly and marching into the kitchen._

 _"You're not going to that callback."_

 _Rage boils inside her and stomping her foot childishly, she follows him angrily. "Who are you to stop me?"_

 _Bracing him against the kitchen sink, Don sighs. "I'm your boyfriend. We live together. You should involve me in those decisions."_

 _Sharpay lets out a bitter laugh as she rolls her eyes. "I would involve you if you didn't constantly try to make decisions that I don't like."_

 _"It's called compromise."_

 _"Oh, no, this is not compromise," Sharpay hisses, her tone low and furious. "This is you trying to control me."_

 _Pausing, she narrows her arms and crosses her arms over chest again. "Why are you so against me going out for auditions? And don't give that bullshit about not wanting to see me get hurt again."_

 _Don glances up at her, seemingly contemplating something, before shaking his head._

 _"It's complicated," he mumbles, and Sharpay purses her lips in response._

 _"Tell me."_

 _Don shakes his head again. "It's best if you don't know."_

 _Sharpay throws her hands up in the air in disbelief. "Oh, so you think you can make decisions for me and not even let me know why?"_

 _Don shuts his eyes, his knuckles turning white as he holds onto the kitchen counter, leaning all his weight against it as if he's trying to fight something. "I can't."_

 _"I'm not your property, Don," she hisses at him, breathing heavily, angrily._

 _She's Sharpay Evans. Sharpay Evans gets what she wants. She refuses to let anyone hold her down._

 _Letting go of the kitchen counter, Don turns to her with a warning glare. "Sharpay, stop."_

 _"No."_

 _He scowls at her, moving forward with a large, menacing stride, watching as she stays put in her position, head held high._

 _He scoffs and shakes his head, before attempting to step past her. However, she stops him, shaking her head furiously as she places a hand to his chest and pushes him back softly._

 _"You're not leaving until you give me an answer."_

 _"Oh, yeah?" he bites back daringly, and Sharpay feels her resolve crumble slightly as that dangerous glint appears in his eyes again._

 _Her stomach flips nervously, but she refuses to give up now. Sharpay Evans doesn't give up._

 _"Yeah," she whispers threateningly as she takes a step forward to him, raising her eyebrows at him challengingly._

 _Slap._

 _Sharpay lets out a yelp as she stumbles back, staring at him incredulously as she holds her stinging cheek._

 _He just hit her._

 _He stares at her, looking just as shocked as she feels, and she feels her knees threaten to give out beneath her._

 _He hit her._

 _Instinctively, she rushes out of the kitchen and up the stairs. In their bedroom, she frantically pulls open their wardrobe and starts grabbing clothing items and piling them on the bed while she tries to remember where her suitcase is._

 _She barely hears the footsteps come upstairs through the pounding in her ears and when she sees him appears in the doorway, she cowers slightly, her breath hitching in her throat._

 _"I'm sorry!" he immediately exclaims. "I don't know what came over me."_

 _"Give me one good reason to stay," she hisses back as she keeps rummaging through the closet._

 _Don's eyes flicker with panic as he rushes forward, sticking his hand out to touch her, but retracting it before their skins come into contact._

 _"Where will you go?"_

 _This makes Sharpay stop in her tracks._

 _She could go to Ryan. He's in the city, not far from here. However, there's been an unspoken distance between them since they went their separate ways, since she met Don. He has his own life now, he has new people, he is happier than he ever has been when she was in his life. She doesn't want to intrude on that, she doesn't want to selfishly take away his happiness again. There's no place for her in his life, not when she's like this._

 _She could go back to Albuquerque, to her parents, and work at Lava Springs. She can't do that either. She can't waste her life away in that dump. She can't prove her father right. She's not an incompetent fool like he thinks she is. She can't prove her mother right either. She's not any less worthy than her brother._

 _"I'll find something," she says, angrily throwing a pair of socks on top of the pile of clothing as Don keeps lingering behind her._

 _"It won't happen again, I promise. I'll be better. I'll be more supportive. I'll come with you to your audition."_

 _Sharpay shakes her head, his desperate words not convincing to her._

 _"Please, don't let us fail."_

 _Sharpay freezes._

 _Sharpay Evans has failed so many times over the past few years. She's lost her control over the East High drama club, she's lost the Star Dazzle Award, she's almost lost her brother, she's lost Troy Bolton, she's lost the scholarship to Juilliard, she's lost so many Broadway auditions._

 _She's going to lose Don, too. She's going to lose the one thing that's been even remotely successful._

 _With a gulp, she turns around to face Don. "I'm going to find a hotel for tonight. I need some space."_

 _She sees the fire flare up in Don's eyes again, and she wonders if he's going to lash out again. However, he just nods, casting his eyes downward in a sign of rare vulnerability. "Will you come back?"_

 _She bites her lip. "I don't know."_

 _As she walks through the streets of New York half an hour later, her cheek still stinging with the memory of his slap, tears silently flow down her cheeks._

 _She's going back. She doesn't want to, and she knows she shouldn't. But she is._

 _She has lost too much. If she loses this, she has nothing left._

* * *

"We know where you are. We're coming for you."

As soon as the threatening words are spoken to her in a digitally altered voice, the line dies and all that is left is a dial tone.

Slowly, she lowers the phone from her ear as the words sink in.

She's going to die. Sabrina is going to die.

She can't think. She can't breathe. Paralyzed by fear, she just sits there, holding Sabrina, staring at the TV but not seeing anything.

What should she do? Should she stay here like a sitting duck? Should she flee and disappear into the night before it's too late?

But where does she go? And what happens if Anderson loses track of her?

Anderson.

She should call him. Gasping for breath, she stands up, Sabrina still in her arms, and all but sprints to the kitchen in search of the phone number she's supposed to call in emergencies.

Fishing it from the bottom of one of the cabinets, she breathes erratically as she struggles to dial the number due to her trembling hand.

It feels like centuries before someone picks up at the other end of the line. As soon as she hears a voice, she immediately shouts into the phone, panicked, "This is Vanessa Montgomery. I need to talk to Marshal Anderson. Now!"

"We will put you through."

And as she waits again, and it seems like an eternity again, she feels the tears well up in her eyes. This is really it. This is really how it's going to end.

She had dreams once, she had passion and a fire inside her, and all of that is quenched, and now she's going to die in witness protection in California, a shell of her former self.

This is not how Sharpay Evans is supposed to die. This is not how she's supposed to _live_.

"Sharpay?"

As soon as she hears Anderson's voice, low and comforting, she starts sobbing.

"They found me," she manages to get out between sobs, "They're here and they're going to kill me and I don't want to die yet. I'm so young! And my daughter needs me. Oh god, what's going to happen to her? What am I going to do?"

"Sharpay, slow down. What happened?"

She closes her eyes and breathes in and out slowly, trying to calm herself down. "I was just called by an unknown number and I thought it was you, so I picked up, and they said they know where I am and that they're coming from me."

"Stay right where you are," Anderson says, and she chokes on a sob as she notices the urgency in his voice. "We're on our way. Whatever you do, don't move."

"Okay," she mumbles before the line goes dead and she lets out another loud sob, effectively waking up Sabrina, who looks up at her with a trembling lip and confused eyes.

How did this happen? How did they find her?

Did Mark have something to do with it? He's been always behaved a little strangely around her, but as Todd has pointed out to her, he obviously has a crush on her. Perhaps he's just a creepy pervert.

Was it Todd? It couldn't have been. He's so nice. She's fallen for such a trap before, for someone who pretended to be on her side and then wasn't, but she's fairly sure Todd is not capable of this. There would have been signs.

Debbie has always been oddly curious and suspicious about her; maybe it's her fault. However, Debbie is also a suburban soccer mom, it's pretty much in her blood to be so annoyingly intrusive.

And then there's Troy and Gabriella, the only people who know her true identity. Somehow, they have become the people in this town that Sharpay trusts the most. She has known them for years. They would never betray her like this.

At least not willingly.

They promised her they wouldn't tell, but they could have called Ryan before they made that promise, or they could have even broken their promise and called him after her confession.

They have never asked her for answers. Maybe they already had found some answers through her brother.

The people after her could have tracked Ryan's calls and found her through him.

If they have called Ryan, it means that they have not only endangered her and Sabrina, but also Ryan.

The fear and hysteria suddenly cease and make place for blinding rage. Before thinking through what she's doing, she's strapping Sabrina in the carrier and making her way out of the door, on a warpath to tell Troy and Gabriella a piece of her mind.

They must pay.

* * *

As soon as Troy opens his front door, Sharpay furiously brushes past him and barges into his home, slamming the door behind her.

She hasn't really thought this through, she realizes now. If they really are out there, they could have grabbed her and Sabrina when she was on her way to the Boltons.

They could have seen Troy in his doorway. She could have just brought him and Gabriella into danger as well.

However, she doesn't care about that. They brought her into danger, so why should she care about their safety?

"How could you?!" she yells at Troy, trembling with rage as Troy's eyebrows furrow with confusion.

She has to give it to him. He _is_ a good actor. She's not buying it for a second, though.

Before she can rip into him, she hears footsteps and Gabriella appears, making her way down the stairs with an equally confused look.

"What's going on?"

Sharpay's eyes narrow in response to Gabriella's faked innocence and she sets the carrier down, ignoring Sabrina's whimper, as she crosses her arms over her chest. "You tell me."

"Sharpay, I really don't know what you're talking about," Troy answers from behind her and Sharpay turns back to him, shaking her head at him disbelievingly and scoffing.

"I can't believe I actually trusted you," she says, anguished. "It's been, what? Ten years? And I made the same mistake again. Why do I always fall for your bullshit promises?"

"Sharpay," Troy says, so softly, and she feels the tears threaten to fall as he reaches out to grab her hand.

She shakes her head and slaps his hand away as she takes a step backward.

She hates the seemingly genuine concern in his eyes. He doesn't care. Neither does Gabriella. If they had, they wouldn't have betrayed her like this. If they had, they would have kept her safe, not put her life in jeopardy.

As she walks backwards, she suddenly feels a soft hand on her shoulder and she turns around to face Gabriella, that same worry swimming in her brown depths.

"What happened?"

Sharpay pulls her body away from Gabriella, glaring at her menacingly. "I told you to not tell anyone that I'm here."

"We didn't," Gabriella says, puzzled, and Sharpay raises her eyebrows at her incredulously, feeling herself steadily becoming angrier.

How dare they act so innocent, as if they did nothing wrong? They know very well what they did.

"Bullshit," she snarls. "If you didn't tell anyone, then how did they find me?"

She searches Gabriella's face for any sign of recognition, any trace of guilt. She finds nothing. Instead, Gabriella remains utterly befuddled, her face blank.

"Who found you?" she asks, a little hesitantly as her eyes cloud with worry.

Sharpay just shakes her head. "Why don't you just ask Ryan? Speaking of him, by the way, you didn't only jeopardize me, but you also brought him into danger, so I hope you're happy with yourself."

Gabriella's eyes widen with realization and she rushes forward, but Sharpay raises her hands to stop her, with a warning glare. Gabriella stops in her tracks. "You think we called Ryan?"

Sharpay shrugs with a curt nod. "Again, how else would they have found me?"

Before Gabriella can speak up again, she puts up a finger to stop her from talking. "You know how you told me to check the damage behind me when you left Lava Springs? You should take that advice yourself."

Hearing Troy letting out a warning sound behind her, Sharpay just waves him off, her furious gaze still focused on Gabriella. "You have no idea what you've done. You have no idea what I've been through. You have no idea what it's like to be hurt. You're so concerned with yourself that you can't take a step back and realize that not everyone's life is as perfect as yours!"

Tears spring to Gabriella's eyes as her posture slumps a little. Her lip trembles and hurt swims in her eyes.

Sharpay rolls her eyes. Of course she's going to play the victim.

"Sharpay, stop," Troy hisses behind her and Sharpay turns around to glare daggers at him.

Before she can launch a rant at him, though, he speaks up himself. "You're not the only one who's been through something, Sharpay. I get that you're hurt, but whatever happened, we had nothing to do with it. And even if we did, you have no right to barge into our home and speak to my wife like that."

Sharpay gulps at the furious storm in his eyes. It reminds her of the way that Don used to look at her before he lashed out. Deep down, she knows Troy would never do that, but she can't help but cower under his gaze.

"We've helped you, Sharpay," Troy says after a moment of silence, his voice a little softer than before, as a hint of concern reappears in his eyes. "We're not your enemy."

From behind, Gabriella speaks up again, her voice soft and caring, but also weak with hurt. "Let us help you again."

Looking back and forth between Troy and Gabriella, both of them obviously hurt, but still caring, she shakes her head furiously.

They're speaking the truth. They haven't done anything.

And instead of them bringing her into danger, she's bringing them into danger by being here, in their home, when her demise is imminent.

She wants so desperately to stay, to tell them everything, to let them help her. But she can't. Miraculously, she hasn't lost them yet, but if she stays, she might lose them after all.

"No," she whispers, tears starting to fall down her face. "I can't."

She turns to Gabriella and smiles weakly. "I'm sorry."

Then, she grabs the carrier that she's set down and walks out of their house, letting out a sob as she pulls the door closed behind her.

With long, desperately fearful strides, she returns to her home. Setting down the carrier, she hoists Sabrina up and smiles apologetically as the baby reaches for her nose.

Sitting down on the couch, she rocks back and forth, holding her daughter tightly as she chants the same two words to the infant over and over again.

"I'm sorry."

And then she waits for the end to come.

* * *

 **A/N: This was probably the most emotionally draining chapter of this entire story to write, and I guess that says something, considering how angsty this entire thing has been, lol. I hope you enjoyed it, though, and as always, please leave a review!**


	13. Chapter 12

Sharpay desperately wants to sleep. She has no hope for a peaceful slumber, but she wants to rest just a little. However, there's no way she's going to fall asleep this way. There's too many thoughts running through her mind about what happened tonight, and whenever she closes her eyes, she sees nightmarish images of dark silhouettes coming for her in the dead of night and she sees memories of the night that everything changed.

When Sabrina starts screaming on top of that, she knows that it's truly a lost cause.

Standing up with a groan to grab a bottle from the fridge, under the assumption that Sabrina is hungry, Sharpay suddenly stops dead in her tracks.

There's a noise at the front door.

Harshly shushing Sabrina, she quickly moves back so she's standing against the wall, out of view from whoever is trying to enter through the front door.

With a squeaky creak, the door opens and somehow, Sabrina immediately stops screaming, looking up at her mother with wide eyes, as if she knows that something is wrong.

Sharpay smiles weakly and caresses her daughter's cheek, holding her as closely as she can.

Footsteps approach, heavy and stealthy, and suddenly it's hard to breathe. Suddenly she's back in New York, in her fancy house with her fancy husband, hiding from her fancy husband's killer in the bathroom.

She should have prepared. She should have got a baseball bat, a gun, a knife. She should have got something to protect herself and her daughter with, but she has nothing.

There's no way to escape her inevitable death.

Unless the cops arrive this very instant, but there's no sirens disrupting the eerie quiet. There's just the rustling of the intruder and the pounding of her heart.

Where are the cops anyway? It's been at least an hour and a half since she made the call to Anderson. They should have been here long ago. They could have scared them off or caught them in the act. She could have been brought to safety, but instead, she's stuck with what is probably a trained assassin in a dark and quiet house with nobody to come to her rescue.

She's glad she has turned off on the light and it's dark, though, for it would be more difficult for them to locate her, but it also makes it more difficult for her to locate them.

All she has to go on is the footsteps and they're drawing far too close until she suddenly feels a hand on her arm.

She can't suppress the gasp that comes out of her mouth as nails bite into the skin. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembers the way both Troy and Gabriella touched her earlier, with such care and tenderness.

This is the complete opposite of that. It's rough, painful, and too awfully reminiscent of the many times that Don held her a little too tightly.

"Hello, Mrs. Williams," a familiarly unnerving voice greets her and Sharpay immediately reacts by trying to rip her arm out of his grip.

She knows that voice. She knows it anywhere. She's only heard it twice, she's only seen him twice, but she knows him. She could never forget him.

She lets out a loud scream, but his hand is clasped over her mouth immediately, effectively ceasing the noise she's making.

"Nathan Lloyd," she hisses venomously as he removes his hand. She struggles to break free, but he just chuckles as he tightens his grip on her.

"Oh, no, you're not going anywhere," he says, sounding a little amused, and when Sharpay grunts angrily at his amusement, he just laughs scathingly.

"Well, actually, you are going somewhere. You see, me and my men have come to take you home to New York."

Through her anger and panic, Sharpay feels some confusion arise as she momentarily stops struggling. "You're not going to kill me?"

Nathan laughs again. "Not yet. You see, when you started figuring out what your precious little husband was up to, we did a little background check on you. Behind his back, of course, because I don't think he would have approved. He was so protective of you and your safety. It's kind of a shame that it has to end this way, really."

Sharpay scoffs, attempting again to rip out of his grip, nearly growling as he stills her with a warning grunt.

Don was not protective of her. He was possessive, sure, but he never once cared about her safety.

"We found out that you're an Evans. A New Mexico Evans," Nathan continues, sounding pleased with himself. "Your family has money. We need money. And I bet they're worried about you."

Sharpay is glad that he can't see her in the dark, because that surely makes her falter in her anger.

Her family is not worried about her. She's made sure of that. She has isolated herself from Ryan, her father thinks she's nothing but a disgrace, her mother never appreciated her.

If she's gone, nobody will come to look for her.

Scowling at the dark figure, she shakes her head, bitterly spitting out, "Nobody cares for me."

Suddenly, Sabrina lets out a frightened whimper Sharpay realizes that Nathan is touching the infant.

"Get your hands off of her!"

A chuckle. "I'm sure your parents would like to get to know her."

He leans closer as she feels his breath on her face as he whispers, "I'm also sure you'd like to spend a little more time with her before you die and she becomes an orphan, so I suggest you comply."

Before she can ponder over the implications of Sabrina losing her and having no known parents, she suddenly feels a cold sensation of metal against her temple.

Gulping, she realizes it's the barrel of a gun.

She stays very still, holding onto her daughter's tiny frame for dear life, as she stares into the dark, dangerous eyes she can't see, but can imagine.

"How did you find me?"

Her voice is surprisingly steady, but she can hear her breathing becoming harsher and more erratic as he pushes the gun a little closer.

"We have our ways," he says vaguely and before she can probe any further, she's pulled away from the wall and pushed towards the front door, the gun still against her temple.

"Now, stop asking questions and start walking. And don't make a sound."

The second the words spill from his mouth, loud sirens can be heard in the distance and Sharpay lets out a heavy breath.

The cops are finally here.

Nathan just forcefully pushes her forward, the both of them moving with quick, large strides, and as she comes outside, the streets illuminated by lanterns, she gulps as she sees a van in front of her gate.

"Walk."

She complies, slowly stepping to her doom.

However, just before they reach the van, she hears a familiar voice.

"Drop your gun!"

Turning to her right, she sees Anderson approach, in full tactical gear. She can't help but let out a squeak of relief, before Nathan pulls her in front of him and holds his hand to her chest, both of them facing Anderson.

"I will shoot her."

Anderson just stares at them stoically. "Let her go."

Nathan just grips her tighter. It feels as if an eternity of time slips by before she hears a gunshot and her grip is suddenly loosened, Nathan letting out a groan behind her.

She turns around in shock to find Nathan on the ground clutching his foot. Behind him is another cop, and Sharpay squeaks as she realizes that the other cop has shot him in the foot.

As Anderson and the other cop jump on Nathan, she does the only thing she can think of. She runs.

With quick strides, she makes her way back to her house.

However, she never makes it.

Before she can reach the porch, another pair of hands, remarkably soft in comparison to Nathan's forceful and calloused touch, grabs her shoulders and nearly pulls her downwards at the very same time she hears another gunshot.

She turns around to find a figure lying on the ground, her entire body freezing in horror as she recognizes who it is.

Then, she screams.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

As Troy tightens his arms around her, Gabriella looks up at him and smiles at him weakly as she nods.

Troy just sighs as he stares into her eyes as if searching for answers, obviously not convinced that she's fine. One of his arms leaves her stomach and comes up to brush a strand of hair from her face.

"Look, if this is about what Sharpay said…" he starts, hesitantly, a little exasperated, and Gabriella immediately shakes her head furiously in response.

"No, it's not that," she says, before sighing. "Well, it is about her, but not about what she said to me."

As she sees the realization dawn in Troy's eyes, she casts her own gaze downward, staring at their intertwined hands on her stomach. "I can't stop thinking about how she said there were people coming for her. What if she's in danger?"

She feels Troy rest his chin on her scalp as he sighs. "She's Sharpay. Overdramatic is her middle name. She's probably fine."

However, she can hear in his voice that he is not convinced by his own words at all.

They both saw the tears, the horror, the fear on her face. They've both seen it a couple of times before since she moved here, and they're both well aware that this is not one of her overdramatic episodes. The despair is too real, too tangible to be exaggerated or be a part of an act.

There's also the fact that she has changed her identity. That is not something to be taken lightly. She must have had a good reason for it and while Gabriella still has no clue what that reason is, this fear of being chased and found definitely seems to be a piece of the puzzle.

Gabriella's brain has not stopped churning that piece of information. She knows nothing about Sharpay's life past high school, but it seems so outlandish to her that she's on the run, yet it makes perfect sense.

Gabriella can't deny that she's curious and that she wants to know what exactly is going, but there's something more important than a quest for truth plaguing her mind.

She wants to know how she can protect Sharpay.

Just as she thinks this, she suddenly hears a high-pitched sound. She immediately springs out of Troy's arms, eyes widened.

She turns to him and his eyebrows are furrowed with worry as they both realize what the sound is: it's Sharpay.

If there's one thing Sharpay has always been famous for, it's her uncanny ability to scream so loudly that anyone in a two mile radius can hear it.

Gabriella immediately sprints to the window, Troy following on her heels. Feeling her panicked heart pound on her chest, Gabriella pulls the curtain back slightly and peers out into the dark night.

There's a van parked outside of Sharpay's gate and through the illumination of the street lanterns, she can see that the driver is wearing a mask.

This is not ordinary.

"I'm calling 911," Troy states firmly from behind her and she hears his footsteps as she keeps her stare on Sharpay's front lawn, searching for any sign of life or movement.

In the background, she hears Troy's frantically rambling into phone, but all she can focus on is Sharpay and whether she is alive and well.

Troy is still on the phone as she suddenly hears the wailing of sirens, jumping a little as she's pulled out of her concentration.

Within seconds, Troy has put down the phone and reappears behind her, his hands desperately clasping onto her waist in support. "Anything?"

"Nothing."

However, the minute she says that, Sharpay's door opens. Gabriella gasps in horror and Troy mutters a string of curses as they watch the scene play out before them.

Another hooded man is walking behind Sharpay, who is holding Sabrina, and he holds a gun to her temple as he roughly pushes her towards the van.

She's being kidnapped.

Sharpay appears remarkably calm, but Gabriella is anything but.

Without thinking, she prints to the hallway, throwing on her coat and running outside, ignoring Troy's calls after her.

When she arrives outside, the scene has changed. The van driver has been pulled from the vehicle by a cop while another one is yelling at Sharpay's kidnapper to drop the gun.

A third cop appears and shoots the perpetrator in the foot and he falls to the ground. In the midst of chaos, Gabriella hears Sharpay squeak as she starts running towards the house, to safety.

Gabriella feels a surge of relief overcome her in the hopes that this means Sharpay is safe for now.

However, she quickly realizes that is not the case.

It all happens within a few seconds.

Her eyes travelling back to the van driver, Gabriella's breath gets stuck in her throat as she realizes that the hooded man is winning the fight.

She gasps as she sees a glint of metal poking from under his black hoodie. He's still armed.

Looking back and forth between Sharpay and the van driver, who is now punching the cop, she quickly realizes she's in a perfect line of fire.

So, without thinking, Gabriella runs. She runs off her porch and onto Sharpay's, quickly reaching her friend and pulling on her shoulders.

She wants to call her to get down, but before she can do so, she hears a loud bang and there's a sudden sharp pain in her shoulder.

Overwhelmed with pain, she stumbles and almost takes Sharpay down with her as she falls to the ground, unable to support herself with her arm due to the nagging ache and hitting her head on the concrete.

Dizzily, she blinks twice and groans softly, barely audibly. Then, she looks back to her shoulder and very nearly loses conscience at the sight of a dark red spot at the spot that's hurting.

She's a doctor, she's seen blood before, but there's only so much a person can take when they are shot and then fall on their head.

Then, the pain comes in full force. Her head is pounding, the world is spinning and try as she might, she can't keep her eyes open.

She has to keep her eyes open. She can't lose conscience. She has to pull through.

Through all the pain and the struggle to stay awake, though, one thought keeps repeating in her mind.

Sharpay is safe.

It's the sound of Sharpay's blood curdling scream that suddenly makes everything okay.

All she wanted to do, was to help Sharpay, to bring her to safety. She's completed her task. It's over. She doesn't have to fight anymore.

" _Gabriella!_ "

And then everything goes dark.

* * *

 **A/N: Did I just write the same cliffhanger twice? Yes. Do I feel sorry? No.**

 **We're almost at the end of the fic… Do with that what you will… *finger guns***


	14. Chapter 13

Gabriella just caught a bullet for her.

Gabriella just saved her life.

Gabriella is unconsciously lying on the concrete because of her.

With trembling knees, Sharpay drops to the floor next to Gabriella's body, unsure of what to do as she starts sobbing hysterically.

Through the tears, she manages to look up at the exact same time a cop pulls off the hood that another man – probably the van driver – is wearing, and she feels her breath hitch in her throat.

Mark.

Feeling her face flush red with anger, she springs up from her position beside Gabriella and walks towards the van with menacing strides, Mark's eyes widening as she approaches furiously.

"You asshole!"

Of course it was him. She should have known that day in the park when he acted so strangely. She had always thought there was something suspicious and creepy about him, but she never, ever thought he would be the one to blow her cover. It makes no sense. He's a guy from a small Californian town, how would he ever be able to rat her out to a New York criminal?

It makes no sense, but it has happened. He's the reason why she was just nearly kidnapped and he's the reason why her friend now has a bullet lodged into her shoulder.

 _It's also her own fault_ , a voice in the back of her mind whispers. If it wasn't for her, no shot would not have been fired and Gabriella wouldn't have caught the bullet to protect her.

She was such a heinous bitch to Gabriella earlier, and now Gabriella caught a bullet for her.

She ruins everything.

The thought of her responsibility for whatever happened, only furthers her anger. Gabriella has protected her, and now Sharpay will get revenge for her.

She fully intends to launch herself over the car to get to him, but before she can act on that urge, she suddenly feels two hands on her arms steadying her.

She lets out a frustrated grunt as she tries to break free, but she ceases struggling as she looks back and sees who is holding her.

Anderson shakes his head firmly as he retains his firm grip on her and she sighs in defeat, still scowling furiously as she watches Mark be taken into custody.

For the next couple of hours, she is in a daze. She watches as Troy kneels by Gabriella's side, tears streaming down his face, and she watches helplessly as an ambulance arrives and both Gabriella and Nathan are taken away to the hospital.

She's too distraught to really register anything that happens after that. She feels numb inside as an EMT checks her up and as she's taken to the police station and as she gives her statement.

It reminds her all a little too much of that horrifying night months ago, but there's a new nightmarish memory that keeps plaguing her tonight.

Gabriella.

She gulps as she's excused from the interrogation room and finds Anderson waiting for her outside. She can see in his sympathetic, yet stoic eyes that he knows exactly what she's going to ask.

"Can you drive me to the hospital?"

* * *

When she walks into the emergency room, she immediately spots Troy at the receptionist's desk, gesturing wildly as he speaks to the receptionist.

"Troy!" she calls and she tries not to feel hurt at how his face falls when he turns around and meets her gaze.

If she were him, she would be annoyed to see her as well. After all, she did come into his house to make false accusations and then his wife almost got herself killed by catching a bullet for her.

The latter is not _entirely_ her fault, though, the more she thinks about it. She didn't ask for Gabriella to do that. It was Gabriella's own choice.

However, that thought, however true it may be, doesn't ease the guilt and anxiety that rushes through her whenever she remembers Gabriella's unconscious body on her front lawn.

"I can't do anything for you, sir," the receptionist tells Troy, sounding like her patience is wearing thin. "As soon as there's any news, a doctor will come to inform you."

Troy sighs in defeat, muttering a quick thank you, before motioning his head to Sharpay to move to the chairs.

A little hesitantly, Sharpay follows, and both of them sit down, staring ahead, unsure what to say to each other.

When Sabrina reaches out to grab Troy's ear, making him laugh, Sharpay finally turns to him and gives him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry."

Troy looks up at her and she nearly reaches out to hug him. He looks so upset, his face tear-stricken, his shoulders slumped. His eyes stare into hers desperately and she can see that he's trying to hold onto that last shred of his sanity, but failing miserably. It's a feeling she knows all too well.

He doesn't say anything, just stares at her forlornly and somehow, with that, the dam breaks.

"I'm sorry for everything," she says weakly as she averts her gaze from him and drops a trembling kiss to Sabrina's head. "This is all my fault. I should have been honest with marshals about my past with you guys. I should have asked to be relocated. I shouldn't have involved you guys in this mess. I shouldn't have involved Sabrina. She could have died today. Gabriella could have died. God, what have I done?"

She barely notices that tears begin to stream down her face during her ramble, the anxiety overtaking as it becomes difficult to breathe, but when she looks back at Troy, and sees the anxiety and sadness in his own eyes, she gasps.

"Oh my god, Gabriella is in surgery and I'm making it all about myself again."

It's strange, the thought that she's not alone in her misery anymore. It's comforting on one level that there's someone out there who might understand her predicament, even if Troy's situation is vastly different from hers, but the thought that he's going through that same misery she has experienced is also heart breaking.

She shakes her head, before mustering a small, sympathetic smile. "How are you doing?"

Troy laughs bitterly as he throws his head back and runs a hand through his hair. "I have no idea."

He rubs his neck as both of them fall silent for a moment. With a sigh, he continues, "I feel like my entire world is crumbling around me, you know? I mean, it's not the first time that's happened, but it still feels like… I don't even know. I just wish I could… I could…"

"Scream?" Sharpay supplies and Troy lets out a slightly exasperated chuckle as he nods.

Silence encompasses them again as they both let their thoughts run about what happened tonight and let their worries about Gabriella's state consume them. They're both afraid to ask the other the burning questions on their minds, staying awkwardly silent until Sharpay can't take the weight of not knowing anymore.

She needs to know.

"Why did she do that?"

Troy shrugs in response and as he turns to her, a ghost of a smile appears on his face. "She always wants to save people."

Sharpay can't help but return his smile. Wistfully, she shakes her head. She used to hate that about Gabriella, the way she always made everyone else's business her own, the way she always wanted to help others even if others refused her help.

Now, she can't be more grateful for Gabriella's incessant need to help others. She may not have asked for the help, but if it weren't for Gabriella, she might not be here.

"Sharpay?" Troy asks, snapping her out of her thoughts and with a weak smile, she raises her eyebrows at him in anticipation.

"What happened to you?"

Before she can respond to his question – a question that has been coming for a long time, and one she's still doesn't know how to answer –, a doctor appears in the waiting room.

"Gabriella Bolton?"

Both Troy and Sharpay immediately spring out of their chairs and rush over to the doctor.

"I'm Troy Bolton, her husband," Troy says, remarkably calm but with a slight hint of panic as he tries to gauge the doctor's face for any expressions that could reveal Gabriella's fate.

The doctor smiles politely as he shakes Troy's hand. "Your wife is out of surgery. We've successfully dislodged the bullet from her shoulder. She may have a concussion from her fall and she has a nasty wound, but she's going to be fine."

Sharpay clasps her hand in front of her mouth and Troy lets out a deep breath, both relieved.

"Can I see her?"

The doctor nods as a nurse appears behind him. "She's still sleeping off the anaesthesia, but the nurse here will take you to her room."

"Thank you," Troy breathes, before turning back to Sharpay, who just smiles at him and motions for him to go.

"I'll stay here."

With a smile and a nod, Troy follows the nurse and Sharpay walks back to the chair she previously occupied and sits down with a sigh as the weight finally fully lifts from her shoulders.

Gabriella is okay and Nathan Lloyd has been caught.

She finally doesn't have to be scared anymore.

* * *

When Gabriella cracks open her eyes, slowly, one by one, the first thought that runs through her mind is about how awful she feels. Her head is pounding, there's a dull ache in her shoulder, and her entire body feels like it's filled with concrete.

The second thought is Sharpay.

Blinking to adjust to the light, she lets her gaze roam the room, landing on Troy sitting at her side, firmly grasping her hand in both of his, relieved tears streaming down his face.

She immediately sits up, eyes wild and desperate as the memories of Sharpay and the attempted kidnapping flow back into her mind. She barely notices how much it hurts to sit up, for there are much more important things to worry about.

"Is she okay?" she inquires urgently, her voice groggy, and she watches with slight hope as a smile slowly grows on Troy's face.

He chuckles and shakes his head. "Of course that's what you're worried about. You just got shot and you still put others first."

Then, he squeezes her hand and beams. "She's okay. You saved her life."

With a relieved sigh, Gabriella settles back onto the bed and lets her eyes close again, still feeling weak and faint.

"That's good."

Opening her eyes again, she watches Troy with hooded eyes, his own permanently fixed on her, looking at her as if she could disappear at any given moment.

She could have. She's lucky that she was only shot in her shoulder and her vital organs were spared, but it could have ended very differently.

The thought that she could have died is one that makes her feel a little sick. The thought of not being able to make the most out of her life, to not grow old with this wonderful man at her side is one she can't even fathom.

Her last thoughts before she lost consciousness on the cold hard concrete suddenly spring to mind.

She was done with fighting for her friend's life. But there's one fight she's not done with. The fight for her own happiness.

She's been fighting against her happiness, letting the pain overtake any chance at a happy ending, but that's done now. Now, she's going to fight for herself and for Troy. She's going to fight for them.

"Troy?" she asks, her voice small, and Troy immediately hums in response.

"I want to try," she says, pausing as Troy's eyebrows furrow and bashfully looking down at her sling her arm is in. "I want to look at other options."

A little afraid, she looks back up at him and she can't help but smile a little as she sees how much his eyes have lit up.

"Are you sure?" he asks excitedly, but she can see that he's trying to hold it in, that he's still trying to prepare for disappointment. Frantically, he gestures to the drip that's connected to her arm. "I mean, you're probably high on whatever is in there right now."

Gabriella laughs and shakes her head. "I'm serious. I mean, it's not going to be easy and I don't know if it's really going to work, but I want to try. I don't want to promise anything, but let's _look_ at the options, at least."

She bites her lip as she watches the utter joy on her husband's face. "I mean, we've both wanted this for so long and if I have learned anything tonight, it's that life is too short."

Excitedly, Troy rushes forward to hug her, but he quickly pulls himself back, probably realizing that she's still in a lot of pain.

With a sheepish, yet utterly gleeful smile, he grabs her hand again and presses a kiss to the palm.

"I love you," he says and she sighs blissfully, the pain – both physical and emotional – ceasing momentarily to make place for overwhelming love for her husband.

"I love you, too."

* * *

It's not true that there's no need to be scared anymore, because the minute she walks into Gabriella's hospital room, Troy having his hand on her back in friendly support, Sharpay feels terrified.

The fact that Gabriella is okay doesn't mean that their burgeoning friendship is okay, or that Gabriella doesn't have a million of questions.

Troy's question earlier still burns on her mind, and she gets that both Boltons are curious – she would be too if the roles were reversed –, and she knows there's no reason to hide anymore, but the thought of telling them still makes her feel like she's going to combust with anxiety.

However, the minute she sees Gabriella sitting straight up on her hospital bed, looking pale and tired, her arm in a sling and a bandage on her forehead, Sharpay forgets all her worries about her own predicament.

Instead, she only feels worried about Gabriella and grateful that she's alive.

Apparently, Gabriella feels the same way about her, because they exclaim the exact same thing at the same time.

"I'm so glad that you're okay!"

Sharpay immediately hands off Sabrina to Troy and rushes over to the seat next to the bed, taking Gabriella's hand in hers.

"Why did you do that?"

Gabriella just smiles gently at her and shrugs. "I wasn't going to let you die."

"But I was awful to you," Sharpay says incredulously, blushing a little as she remembers how she lashed out at Gabriella only hours ago.

It seems like an eternity has passed since then, but she still feels guilty about how she yelled at them and falsely accused them of something they didn't do.

"You weren't in your right mind," Gabriella assures her and Sharpay shakes her head furiously as she watches both Gabriella and Troy stare at her, the questions burning in their eyes.

She averts her gaze for a second, looking at her lap as she realizes she really can't avoid telling them any longer. There's no reason to, and they deserve answers.

They're her friends.

Looking back up into Gabriella's kind, tired eyes, she says, hesitantly, "I guess I should tell you what all of that was about."

Neither Troy and Gabriella respond, but she can see in their anticipatory facial expressions and Troy's casual shrug that they really want to know.

"That man, my… kidnapper, that was was Nathan Lloyd," she starts, her voice wobbly as she stares at her lap again, fiddling with her hands. "He killed my husband."

She closes her eyes as the tears burn. They're not tears for Don, though. They've never been tears for him. They've always been tears for the trauma that he's caused her – inadvertently and deliberately –, and for the predicament he's put her in.

She continues, "My husband was involved with organized crime in New York. I didn't find out until we were already married, but I had suspicions, and the night that he died, I was home. I heard it all happen."

She hears Troy curse under his breath from the other side of the room as her own breath becomes erratic due to her emotions. "Apparently, he owed some people a lot of money and he didn't pay, so they killed him. And since I recognized Nathan the night of the murder and Don hadn't repaid his debts, the cops thought they would come after me. So they sent me here."

Sharpay lets out a sob, the tears now falling, and she hears shuffling in the room as she suddenly feels a soft, calloused hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly.

Looking up, she musters a small smile at Troy, who is looking at her helplessly, as if he wants to make her feel better, but doesn't know how to.

Nothing will make this better. But telling the story is surprisingly cathartic for being something she's been so afraid of for so long.

"I had no idea that you guys lived here when they sent me here in witness protection," she confesses as she stares at Gabriella apologetically. "I probably should have asked to be relocated when I found you were my neighbours. Maybe then I would have never met Mark and he wouldn't have ratted me out."

She still doesn't understand how Mark was tied to Nathan Lloyd exactly, but the matter of the fact is that he was, and that it's his fault that they're here.

"Why didn't you?" Gabriella asks. Her tone is not accusatory, but rather curious.

Sharpay bites her lip as she looks at her lap again. Nervously, she answers, "I thought it would be too suspicious if I left again. And ironically, I also liked the idea of being around you, since you were familiar."

She feels Troy squeeze her shoulder again. "We like being around you, too."

Sharpay laughs at that, at the irony, as she looks back up at Gabriella, who is frowning at her worriedly.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, Sharpay," she says. "I… I really don't know what to say."

Sharpay just shrugs. "I don't know what to say either."

"You must miss your husband," Gabriella continues, pity in her voice, and Sharpay just scoffs in response as she shakes her head firmly.

"Not at all. I hated him," she states spitefully. She's not going to delve into the abuse, though. Telling them about Don's criminal activity and witness protection is already hard enough for her. She doesn't think she can handle confessing to her abusive marriage as well.

"I do miss my freedom, though," she says wistfully, "But I lost that long before all of this happened."

Gabriella smiles as she grabs Sharpay's hand again and squeezes. "Well, you can be free now, right?"

Sharpay can't help but smile back, the tears starting to fall again as she realizes Gabriella is right.

Her past will always haunt her mind, she has no doubt about that, but physically, she is finally free of the shackles that Don has put her in.

Sitting here, with Troy's hand on her shoulder, Sabrina in his arms, while Gabriella smiles at her comfortingly, she feels like she can finally truly breathe again.

She can finally recover and pick up the pieces of her broken life. She can finally dream of a better future.

She can finally hope that one day, she will be happy again.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope this answered some of your questions! Only the epilogue left now!**


	15. Epilogue

"I'm so glad we're celebrating our birthday together."

Sharpay stops toying with Sabrina's soft blonde curls and looks up, smiling as she meets her brother's gaze.

It's already been about a year since they've reunited, but it still feels surreal to be back with him. The strain on their relationship, like the many scars that Don has left her with, and the guilt for her own part in that is still lingering in the back of her mind, but she's beyond grateful that he has welcomed her back with open arms.

If there's anything she's learned in the past year, it's that love is a powerful thing, and that even though it doesn't fix her problems or alleviate her trauma, it does ease the pain a little. It feels good to be surrounded by loved ones, by people who actually care about her.

She knows Ryan is thinking the same thing, as she notices the delight in his icy blue eyes as his gaze roams to Ben, now his husband, and Kelsi, his best friend and his son Rory's biological mother.

Sharpay is so happy to be one of his loved ones again.

"Me too," she replies earnestly, smiling at her nephew in Ryan's lap, before narrowing her eyes at Ryan. "But it's just _your_ birthday. I told you I stopped ageing at thirty."

Ryan snorts in laughter and after a moment, Sharpay starts laughing too as she lets her gaze roam around, taking in the Lava Springs pool area where she has spent so many summers when she was younger.

It really does feel good to be home.

"You know, I'm surprised you haven't invited any Wildcats," she says as their laughter dies down, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "I mean, I figured you would want _all_ of your loved ones here."

She can't deny the surge of guilt that rushes through her at the thought that she's the reason he has never had that, but Ryan doesn't seem to care, merely shrugging.

"They're still all over the place," he answers, before pausing thoughtfully. "Actually, that would apply to Chad and Jason metaphorically as well."

Sharpay lets out a small laugh, but she feels suspicious as Ryan turns to her to smile at her mischievously.

"What?"

There's a twinkle in his eyes as he says, "There's actually a few Wildcats coming, though."

Before she can inquire any further, the gate to the pool area suddenly opens and Sharpay feels a large smile grow on her face as she recognizes the two figures approaching.

"Ella! Troy!"

She immediately lets Sabrina off her lap and rushes over to Gabriella to hug her as Troy walks over to greet Ryan.

"What are you doing here?" Sharpay asks excitedly as she releases Gabriella from her embrace.

"We were in the area," Troy answers from behind her. "So we just wanted to stop by since it's your bir– You know, whatever."

She can't help but feel amused at the terrified look in Troy's eyes as she glares at him for mentioning her birthday, before stepping to him and hugging him as well.

"And, you know, we wanted you to meet Anthony," Gabriella elaborates, smiling brightly as Sabrina curiously peers into the carrier holding the young infant boy that Troy and Gabriella have recently adopted.

Sharpay grins as she crouches down to look at the baby. She's so happy for Troy and Gabriella. Having found about their fertility issues not long after Gabriella got shot, Sharpay now understands how much hardship they've also endured, and she's glad they're healing from their pain as well.

"He's beautiful," she says as she grabs Anthony's tiny hand and lets him wrap it around her finger. When she looks back up at Gabriella, they share a tender smile.

"He is," Gabriella whispers.

Standing up, Sharpay lifts Sabrina in her arms, the toddler letting out a whine in response, and she moves back to her pool chair next to Ryan's, although Ryan is now out of his chair to greet Gabriella and Anthony.

Troy has moved a few pool chairs to sit by them as well and Sharpay can't help but smile as she sees how proudly Troy watches as Ben and Kelsi join Ryan in admiring Anthony.

"So, why are you two really here?" she asks bluntly and Troy just smiles, not taking his eyes off his positively glowing wife.

"We're thinking about moving back to Albuquerque, coming back home," he admits, and Sharpay can't help but look down at her lap uneasily as she contemplates that.

Lava Springs is definitely home, but Albuquerque in general has never been. Neither has California or New York, at least not when she was in the situation she was in. Really, she doesn't think she's ever had a home like Troy is describing.

She's envious of how Troy and Gabriella think of Albuquerque as home, and how they think of California as home as well. She does wonder, though, if the events surrounding her time in witness protection have changed that.

Before she can ponder that, Troy adds, "Don't worry. We won't come to live next to you. I don't think we can afford that."

Sharpay laughs mockingly and sticks her tongue out him, before turning serious again. "I'm actually moving to New York soon."

As Troy raises his eyebrows, impressed, she smiles proudly. "I want to give Broadway another try. I actually have a few auditions coming up and in the meantime, I have a waitress job. I guess working at Todd's while I was in California was actually good for something."

As Troy shoots her wide grin, she can't help but feel a hint of an unfamiliar warmth course through her. She recognizes it as an emotion she hasn't felt in a long time, but it's a welcome one.

"So, how is Todd anyway? I've been meaning to give him a call, but I haven't got around to it yet."

"He's good. He misses you, though," Troy replies, before pulling a face. "Believe it or not, I'm pretty sure Debbie misses you too. She asks about you all the time."

Sharpay rolls her eyes. "She doesn't miss me. She just misses the thrill of having something new and unfamiliar in her boring life."

With a snort, Troy nods as he lets his gaze roam about. "You know, it's really weird to visit this place again, especially as your friend."

Raising her eyebrows accusatorily to mask the embarrassment of remembering that summer the Wildcats spent at Lava Springs, she asks, "It's a good weird, I hope?"

Troy smiles wistfully. "Definitely."

* * *

That feeling of warmth that courses through her veins keeps reoccurring throughout the night with every shared laugh with her friends and family.

However, she crashes down to reality rapidly when she suddenly sees another person at the gate.

Her breath hitches and she quickly turns to Ryan to shoot him a murderous glare as she hisses his name angrily and accusatorily.

"Who's that?" Troy asks as he narrows his eyes in scrutiny at the newly arrived guest. Gabriella and Kelsi also watch curiously, while Ryan smiles sheepishly at Sharpay and Ben shoots his husband a look of aggravation.

"That's Peyton," Sharpay responds curtly, not bothering to give any more information. She can already see that Gabriella is putting together the puzzle pieces anyway, her dark gaze thoughtfully flickering from Peyton to Sharpay to Sabrina.

"Why did you invite him?" Sharpay asks Ryan angrily, and Ryan just shrugs, before pulling her hand into his. She resists the urge to pull her hand away and chooses to scowl at him instead.

"I just want you to be happy," Ryan explains softly, making Sharpay relax a tiny bit. "You deserve it after everything you've been through."

She can't say she doesn't appreciate the gesture, for Ryan knows how much she still longs for Peyton – she probably should stop confessing things in a drunken stupor, though –, but the thought of him not reciprocating her feelings anymore after what she's put him through clouds her mind.

"What if he doesn't want to be with me anymore?" she asks a little desperately. "I mean, he probably still thinks I'm hot. Who wouldn't? But so much has happened between us."

Ryan just smiles as he squeezes her hand. "If he didn't, he wouldn't have come."

This only scares her further. Is she ready to start a new relationship? Can she give him her all, like she's always wanted to, like he's always deserved?

Yet, as Gabriella gestures to go to him, her gaze suddenly meets Peyton's, warm and blue, and she knows the answer to those questions is yes.

She waves at him awkwardly, before slowly standing up from the pool chair and making her way over to him, feeling everyone's eyes on her as her knees weaken beneath her.

"Hi."

"Hi," Peyton responds softly, but his attention isn't focused on her anymore, instead trained on the 21-month-old in her arms. Sharpay feels even weaker as she looks back and forth between Peyton and Sabrina, who are staring at each other curiously and slightly afraid, the colour in each pair of eyes the exact same shade of blue.

"This is Sabrina," Sharpay says, before looking down at Sabrina sternly. "Sabrina, say hello to Peyton."

"Hello," Sabrina whispers before burying her face in her mother's neck and Sharpay swears Peyton's responding smile could light up the entire continent.

Softly, he grabs Sabrina's tiny hand and shakes it. "Nice to meet you."

Then, he turns to Sharpay and awkwardly shoves his hands in his pockets. "I heard what happened to you. At least parts of it. I'm really glad you're okay."

Sharpay doesn't know what to say – she's not sure if confessing her deepest hidden emotions to him when she's not even sure he wants her anymore is a good idea –, so she just smiles at him weakly.

"How have you been?" she asks nervously. "Have you been seeing anyone lately?"

She should really learn to keep her mouth shut.

Peyton seems to recognize the envy in her voice, because he narrows his eyes at her, amusement twinkling in them as he steps closer to her. "No, I haven't. There's someone I haven't quite been able to get over."

Sharpay feels a blush rise to her cheeks as she realizes he definitely means her, and she smiles at him coyly. "I know the feeling."

Peyton laughs delightedly as he looks behind her, wincing as he does so. "Your brother's friends are watching us."

With a small groan, Sharpay turns around to see Ryan, Ben, Troy, Gabriella and Kelsi are all staring at them and she shoots them a vicious glare, before turning to Peyton and rolling her eyes exasperatedly. "They're actually my friends too. Do you want to meet them?"

Peyton grins. "Sure."

As they return to the rest of her friends, Sharpay feels that warmth again. And it keeps growing every time she and Peyton catch each other's gaze, every time she feels Ryan's comforting hand on her shoulder, every time Troy and Gabriella smile at her, every time she watches Sabrina sleep in her lap.

By the end of the night, she can't deny this feeling anymore, and she can't deny the hope that she can foster it and let it grow to let it overtake her one day.

It's happiness.

* * *

 **A/N: And it's done! Even though I'd already finished the first draft back in May, I'm so happy to have the entire thing posted, because this is the first time I've successfully completed a multi chapter fic of this length. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing and publishing it! And if you can, please leave a review, it makes me really happy!**

 **P.S. If it wasn't obvious enough, Peyton is the same Peyton from SFA and yes, he is Sabrina's father. :)**


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